Answers I Don't Have
by Shelia13
Summary: They already knew it. Standing there. Facing the enemy. That this, this right there- was a rescue mission. It wasn't going to be quick, simple, or easy. But the one thing that the Twin Slayers didn't know-they were about to-and it's going to take a turn for the worst.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Moonlight scattered a crossed the plains as a gentle breeze carried its way through the wind. As a person's hair blew around throughout the wind. It was a typical autumn night. It was possible to taste the winter coming threw the air. It was going to be a brutal one. One that would probably kill some people. A winter that would make the sound of crunch and children would laugh. As thousands of others struggled for their breath trying to make their way in the world with the limits of all they had. Even if it simply was the last of their strength, and in some cases? It was. Even if it wasn't enough. Humans still trying to live their lives to even though they were already half gone, desperate. Hopeless. What futile attempts of such a poorly thought out species. The man puffed rubbing his hands together as he walked back to his hall. Surely something fairly interesting was bound to happen soon. Or he was going to die of boredom with his trek through the leaves in the _midnight forest_. A place where humans would desperately try to escape. Futilely. After watching humans attempt over and over again wars, onslaughts against each other, murder, and simple striving to survive as they melted away against a wall...it couldn't be classified as his fault that he saw these humans as weaker beings. They were so...fragile.

"Even though that's true I'm going to live my life to the fullest! Even if my life will only last for a moment I still want to find what I've been looking for! I will keep looking with all of my will!" A feminine voice shouted the sounds of her footsteps echoing through the forest, a lost pattern, people were already in pursuit of whoever this woman was. The man stomping through the forest paused listening to the woman's useless talking something that would inevitably slow her down, sighed, and then continued his walking. Even if she managed to escape whoever was chasing her there was no way she was going to get out of this forest. The man continued walking stuffing his hands in his pockets waiting for the screaming to come any second now which would be slowly taken down notches as she lost her breath...the fall of someone in the forest she fell down one of the small knolls just enough to make space between the chaser as her footsteps echoed louder towards where this man was standing. "Aren't you going to call for help pretty? You're so fragile looking!" A masculine voice called towards the female being chased. "No! I won't I can defeat you!" The female voice shouted back. There was something intriguing even alluring about this voice as the moon lit the fields just enough so that only things that were ankle high could be seen.

"Ain't that cute? That's so adorable! Besides you don't even have a family to come for you! My buddies you know what we did?"

There was a silence as this man waited to listen to see how the story came out. This late night stroller in a place that was practically named after _The Forest of No-Return_. Stories had always intrigued this man as he waited for even something as simple as a mere maggot human's story. "I took my buddies round them all up you know and had them go after each of them. One by one. You should've seen it, it was hysterical watching each of them call for each other only to realize what was happening _**after**_ the situation was over." The man's voice laughed as suddenly a large object was beginning to be moved. "Wo...wench has an axe." The masculine voice laughed as a crashing gory sound echoed through the forest. "Yeah and I know how to use one." the female voice shouted, she sounded full of rage, fury even, but almost complete in control. A sight that would've been a beautiful spectacle to behold. A body dropped to the ground, liquid pouring everywhere ruining the beautiful soft blue of the ground from the moon turning it deep black. As the man who was taking a stroll through the woods walked back towards the scene observing it carefully. She had hit him with the side of the axe causing only blunt trauma. Not meant for a kill. Curious. The strolling man glanced this felon over once again kicking him with his foot as if he were some piece of disgusting garbage. Before finishing the job. Than turning towards the woman whose hair almost glew with the reflection of the moon. "Wait your turn" The woman grumbled fiercely as he stared down at her. She meant to wait his turn for her to attack him. She was obviously struggling, she wasn't even standing anymore, but she kept a tight grip around her axe refusing to let the instrument go. He reached down picking her up, bridal style, easily even though she still struggled to offer resistance. Curious. Curious why humans were made into such weak creatures but even so-

-how had he wound up with a human-woman even humans thought was fragile?


	2. Chapter 2

"You know, there's nothing as tempting as a locked door"

**Chapter 1**

They already knew it. Standing there. Facing the enemy. That this, this right there- was a rescue mission. It wasn't going to be quick, simple, or easy. "Fascinating" Their opponent laughed he seemed to be having some sort of fun as he stared at the twin dragons who were glaring at him with fury to the point someone would be waiting for fire to blaze out of their eyes, or at least the element their bodies contained. The trio stared at each other intense glares towards the opposing parties as a soft, confused, or lost voice broke out through the rubble a hand moving it aside. "Guys? Gajeel? Anyone?" The voice asked distracting the trio as they all glanced quickly towards a possible obstacle or "tool" in the battle. "Where are you?" A dirty blue haired girl asked shoving aside a metal wall that had collapsed during the fights. "Anyone!" The girl shouted rubbing dirt out of her face as the bluenette came out from the rubble glancing innocently towards the trio who was deep in their fight.

"Veronica?"

"Levy, get back!"

"Do we know her?"

Rogue looked towards the blonde dragon slayer with a firm frown upon his face. "We saw her at the Grand Magic Games Ball...she was with, Gajeel." Rogue grumbled explaining to his brother who nodded. "Levy get back." Rogue shouted as she nodded beginning to pull away as suddenly _The King of Hades _appeared in front of her, his arm still hooked to a book, as he reached for her. "Don't touch her! She has nothing to do with this!" Sting said angrily.

"Of course, she does! She's a Fairy-Tail member!" Hades smiled looking towards the confused petite who quickly lifted her hands activating the first magic to come to her mind-as "Iron"-dropped to the floor. "Who are you?" Levy shouted her hands moving to summon another, magic that would be of some value to the current situation, especially at the current moment when Hades reached for her hand grabbing her arm. "Why do you look like her?" He breathed as the dragon slayers took their chance upon this direction to save Levy by attacking Hades from behind. "Who are you talking about?" Levy shouted walking back stumbling over a few pieces of rubble. "The woman I used to play with, when humans were actually the slightest bit entertaining, why the heck do you look like Veronica? Especially with your huge _human_ presence?" Hades growled towards her as Rogue managed to cut him off causing Hades to dodge, unluckily bringing Levy with him. "Who's Veronica? Let me go!" Levy shouted struggling to get out of his grip as she pulled upon her own wrist trying to break free. "You should know her!...These stupid human games tire me, I'll ask you later." The _King of Hades _sighed a portal opening behind him as he pulled her behind him by the wrist dragging her through the portal. "Wait, stop!" She shouted being cut off before she vanished as the _King of Hades _turned to once again face the twin dragon slayers. "There's was something disturbing about that girl." Hades sighed running a hand threw his hair as he turned back to the two fury blazing dragon-slayers. "Ops, I seem to have hit a nerve?" Hades shrugged looking back towards the angry duo which immediately threw themselves in. "Give her back!" The duo shouted their matching punches filled with power that was accelerated by allowing that power to force them forwards towards the man attempting to resolve the fight so they could both quickly go to save someone whom one of them had just met and one was keeping his actual relation with her..silent. The punches missed and _The King of Hades_ removed himself unscathed once again a smile upon his face.

"This isn't fun anymore! What the heck man a hostage? Lame." Sting said panting as they pulled away once again still attempting to get the man who appeared to be dancing.

"If I want to talk to someone I know that is my problem. It is none of a pesky humans business."

"Bullshit!"

"She's important to a friend of mine! Give her back!"

_The King of Hades _cracked a smile as he looked towards Rogue. "I wonder...is she important to a friend of yours? Let me guess what you _actually_ mean." Hades scoffed seeming as if he was about to open his book as if he were at a good point within his story that he just didn't want to pause for. Another punch went flying as the sound of contact was made. The earth under them begun to shake. "Looks like times up." _The King of Hades _smiled looking towards the ground. "What's going on?" Stng demanded as _The King of Hades _looked towards him a sadistic smile on his face. "This place is falling apart, have fun learning to fly little dragons." He smiled turning to go through a portal similar to the one that he had thrown Levy threw. Before pausing to say one final last thing before exiting the portal with two angry dragon slayers on his heels. "Or did you mean _'She's important to me!'_?" _The King of Hades _smiled a sadistic look upon his face as Rogue's hand slipped thru the portal that was sealing itself fading into the night. "Coward!" Rogue growled attempting to bait him back out of the portal. But it was late. Far too late. To open the portal once again. "She had nothing to do with our fight. Why did she attract his attention?" Rogue grumbled looking at Sting who shrugged. "He sounded like he knew her actually." Sting said looking in the opposite direction. "Veronica? Did he say that?" Sting nodded in reply as they both sighed and begun to look underneath rubble. "How far do you think he's able to use that teleportation magic?" Sting called picking up a tiny rock and setting it down once again.

"The counsel member Doranbolt can go a crossed the continent at extremely fast paces, there's no guarantee she's here." Rogue took in a breath moving a larger rock as he found something. Something mysterious. "Over here Sting!" He called as the White Slayer nodded helping him move the rock. Under the rock were Laxus, Freed, EverGreen, Bixslow, and another council member.

"We have to find the others now." Sting said as Rogue nodded in reply as they moved the rocks out of the way so they wouldn't squish the unconscious members any further. "I'm going to keep looking." Rogue said as Sting nodded.

The fight with the demons finished soon afterwards each with their own variables to be handled. Including the twin dragons who were still desperately searching for Levy on their own accord until that had passed out of heat-exhaustion and dehydration somewhere along the way after the Fairy Tail guild joined the search for one of their own.

Levy was never found.

**Chapter 2 *spoiler* sentence**

"Give it up Rogue. Its been two months. We aren't going to find her." Sting's voice echoed behind a bottled beverage.


	3. Chapter 2: Searching

**Chapter 2**

The dragon slayer looked tired. Exhausted even as he stared out the window, another map laying under his hand as he attempted another job, he needed the money for all of the traveling he was doing. He needed money for food and traveling. That's all he had as a reason of why he wasn't looking for the bluenette now. He ran his fingers through his hair probably desperately needing a shower. He would have to earn money to go to a bath house or find a free bathhouse on his way. His foot twitched, it made him anxious, how could he find her with all of this...these things that weren't absolutely necessary in the way. Images of the Fairy Tail's guilds disappointed faces flashed back to his mind. Images of Gajeel's rampage flooded back, yes, he had been hit, and he stood there and took it until he couldn't stand anymore. Each time he was hit he remembered her face. Sting called everything off screaming how it wasn't Rogue's fault and that if Gajeel was that worried he should've tried harder. He felt full of guilt, she was right there, she had slipped through his fingers. He had, no, _**did still did, **_feel responsible he couldn't even protect one simple girl. But that wasn't it either. It was the fear that was written all over her face, hidden under her guise a facade of fighting back. She already knew. She already knew her magic wasn't enough. Even though she was trying. He wanted to grind his teeth together growling, as he looked back towards the map under his hand as he waited for the bartender to bring him some food, a blonde sitting down a crossed from him. He didn't bother glancing towards him as Rogue scanned the map once again. A map covered in X's, scribbles, and details. He couldn't give up. Not yet.

It made him feel so helpless. He hated that feeling that was bubbling in his chest. This helpless feeling. He was a dragon slayer for goodness sake! Why couldn't he even help one simple girl? "Give it up Rogue. Its been two months. We aren't going to find her." Sting's voice echoed behind a bottled beverage, the waitress set a plate down upon the table then walked away once again, Rogue glanced up towards the waitress's blue hair. _Levy? _He jumped up watching the girl turn-blink-that girl didn't even have blue hair...it was black, darker black than his own. Rogue sat slowly back down within his seat. "You're going crazy." Sting sighed "Why are you even going after a girl we don't even know?" Sting asked glancing at his brother, he had been there too, he was suffering. Just not in the same way. He was instead going out training constantly. "I don't know"-Rogue ran his hands through his hair-"I just know I have to find her, I _need _to find her" Rogue whispered these were words that other people weren't allowed to hear, only his brother would understand. Only his brother would hear these words. "Bro, if we knew her I would've thought you were absolutely lovestruck." Sting sighed setting his drink down as he stared a crossed from his brother who looked as if he were returning from some form of battlefield. "We've got to get you cleaned up, maybe some new clothes." Sting grumbled. Rogue set his plate own. Half eaten. "There's no time for that." Rogue grumbled walking out of the restaurant, the last of his own possession of jewels on the table. "Yukino told me! She's worried about you, look at you! The client you need to get to won't even pay you looking all trashed like that." Sting shouted trying to catch up as a little girl waited at the edge of the street. "What even is this mission?" Sting grumbled far away just so that a dragon slayer's ears may hear him.

"Please. Find them." The little girl whispered tugging on Rogue's arm, who squatted down, patting her upon the head. "Of course." He whispered as she nodded heading home.

"What are we doing?" Sting asked looking curiously towards Rogue's hand that now contained a little doll. "This is the last thing that the person we're looking for touched, take the scent and remember it well." Rogue tossed the doll.

"I never said I would help you!" Sting shouted taking a big whiff anyway.

"You are here you mine-as-well make yourself useful"

"Frosch is worried about you, says you haven't come back for days."

"He's with Yukino, she's a very capable girl."

"Yeah so's Lecter...but hey wait! That isn't the point! The point is that you're searching for her like a psycho! Look at you! You're totally trashed! At least send us a letter from time to time!"

"Do you know what its like to be looking for someone like this?" Rogue asked walking towards the woods, the scent was finally starting to become stronger. Sting grabbed Rogue's shoulder. "YES! YES I DO! Yukino and I have been looking everywhere for you with only the words "_I'll be back soon" _to Frosch! Its been two whole months since that fight!"

"And I'm still looking!"

"How do you know she's even alive!"

There was a downcast silence as the brothers stared at each other walking up to a cottage. The next sound being Rogue kicking in a door with all of his anger poured into his foot. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW BUT I HAVE TOO! I JUST HAVE TOO!" Rogue shouted he was brimming with anger, it was mysterious and strange a bizarre concept for the younger of the "twin dragons" to be full of fury. "Something's definitely wrong with me." Rogue pulled back but instead walked forwards into the house where he quickly rescued two people and trashed the place looking for the kidnapper, who returned unwittingly to be arrested and returned.

"Here's your bounty" A person said at the counter they had arrived at upon returning the kidnapper. Rogue took half the bounty tossed the other half to Sting. "Take it home. Go back to Yukino. Tell her I'm fine." He said then turned back to the counter before Sting could say anything. Sting watched as Rogue dug around in his own pocket, pulling out a drawing. "Any sightings of this guy, yet?" _Yet. _He had been there over and over, he had been to many bounty hunting lodges. These were the jobs. He was training himself. Training himself to rescue people. Attempting to feel less helpless even if it was just a brush away from his fingertips. He still didn't feel it. Sting felt a frown form on his face. Rogue should've trusted him enough to help. There was something strange about this situation. Rogue wouldn't even let Sting help, they had done everything together **especially **since joining SaberTooth. "No...sir, we're sorry we have not. Would you like us to put up a copy of his face?"

"No, that will only endanger everyone who comes and goes here."

"Sir, all the more reason to hip up the bounty hunters and tell them about a wandering danger."

"But there's someone that I've got to find." Rogue's eye cast a shadow over towards the missing board all the way a crossed the room from the bounties for known kidnappers. Levy's smiling face drawn expertly by one of her guild members, Reedus, if he recalled properly. Rogue turned to walked out of the store, Sting following him. "Tell Frosch I'm sorry, I'll be home soon. With presents, lots of them. And Yukino-"

"You'll be home soon don't leave them practically a will." Sting grumbled in return to his brother. "What I said before...It was uncalled for, Levy-san wouldn't deserve..." Sting fell silent as Rogue nodded at what he meant. "When did you meet her?" Sting asked following Rogue down the road. There was a silence as if Rogue was reminiscing before he begun to speak.

"I saw her at the Grand Magic Games...I snuck a dance in with her, simply stole her from Gajeel to see his face on a whim...but instead of looking at his face...I was stuck looking at her face. There was just something about her...I couldn't, I just couldn't look away. I haven't met her since then...but, the problem with that...I can't stop thinking about her, that face she made when I last saw her plagues my mind. I need to, there's a buzzing in my hands. I need to have her physically be here." Rogue said running a hand through his hair as if he was highly confused why. Even as if the obsession itself was obnoxious. That he so desperately needed to save this girl. This girl that he barely knew. That was plagued his dreams, his nightmares, she loitered within his thoughts. Over and over again. The scene would play over and over again. "I need to find her." He growled as Sting blinked towards Rogue an occurrence obviously happening within Sting's mind. "Rogue do you think...there's a possibility." Sting paused as if he was hesitating to actually say what he had to say out loud. "What?" Rogue asked with a quick glance towards his brother as he trailed along to the next place to look within the map, surely there was someone...someone out there, who hadn't given up looking for the petite bluenette.

"Do you think...that Levy's your mate?"


	4. Chapter 3: Clues

**Chapter 3**

"Rogue do you think...there's a possibility." Sting paused as if he was hesitating to actually say what he had to say out loud. "What?" Rogue asked with a quick glance towards his brother as he trailed along to the next place to look within the map, surely there was someone...someone out there, who hadn't given up looking for the petite bluenette. "Do you think...that Levy's your mate?" Sting asked hesitantly as he stared towards his brother who was apparently walking aimlessly. Rogue ran his hand through his hand through his hair as he glanced towards the blonde. "I have absolutely no idea what's going on right now. Don't ask meaningless questions." Rogue grumbled back his feet taking a turn and beginning to walk once again.

"I'm guessing you're just expecting me to walk back to SaberTooth now without you?"

"Yes."

"I won't go."

"You need to get back to Yukino and the guild."

"I don't need to do anything, its all under control."

"Its your responsibility to take care of the guild."

"I won't go."

"You have to bring those things back to Yukino."

"I'll get them shipped by mail there."

"You still need to see Lecter too."

"I won't go."

There was a silence as a brief moment.

"Thank you."

They walked for a while soon arriving at the next town. It seemed to be an okay town, pretty much up to date, middle class, and nothing too fancy. "I'll find us some lodgings, you...you need to write Yukino a letter to go with this." Sting sighed as Rogue reluctantly nodded heading off the the post office. They would supply free paper to traveling wizards of a guild. Rogue sighed sitting down, this was an utter waste of time...but at the same time he wanted to desperately hear news of Frosch and how everyone else was doing. There was always that worry nagging at the back of his head that this "_King of Hades" _would return to take someone else that was also important to him. He had to check on them from time to time. Rogue sat down at a table, far away from windows and other people, he had learn precautions from going through reasons for kidnappings and rescue missions continuously the last couple months. Some were purely information or money based, the others weren't as pleasant. But either way...he wasn't going to let anyone see what he was writing through a window, even if it were just a passerby upon the street.

"_Dear Yukino,_

_ It's Rogue, as you've probably discovered upon the envelope, an apology is in order for not contacting in so long. You won't be able to contact me again by returning the send address since I'll be leaving this place once I've thoroughly investigated this town. Sting has found where I was. Tell Frosch I miss him. If he's good I'll bring lots of stuff back for him that are from my travels. _

_No I still haven't found her. I'm still looking. I'll be back soon._

_Rogue."_

The letter was quickly sealed and put within the envelope and handed over, turning Rogue left to find Sting waiting impatiently outside, in other words Sting had already gotten into a fight. Several people were lying all over the ground outside the office. Rogue glanced them all over wondering if he should even bother asking. There was no point. Sting would be bragging in less than a couple seconds about the accomplishment he had just made, mainly to shove it in the losers' faces. "ROGUE! ROGUE! GUESS WHAT!" Sting shouted excitedly jumping up and down as if he were a little kid that was about to go to some form of candy store. Rogue suppressed the need that was rising within him to take his hand and drag it down his face, slowly. Simply to emphasis the point of "_oh my god what are you doing?" _instead Rogue kept his calm and casted a glance that asked the question of "What?" as Sting repeatedly was still jumping up and down upon the man's face. "This man here! He says he might've seen a girl with blue hair around here lately, she was passing through and seemed to have lost a companion she was looking for." Sting said as Rogue nodded. It didn't sound right. But it was still worth a shot. "Which direction?" Rogue asked as it hit Sting that he hadn't even bothered asking in all of his excitement. Sting lifted his foot before Rogue had to coax him to so they could get some information out of this man before his face was so beaten that he couldn't speak anymore.

"Was that necessary?" The man coughed out as Sting noded excitedly squatting down towards him. "Of course, you guys were trying to mug me. It was best I kept my defense up." Rogue felt himself cracked a smile. Sting was merely playing with them as if they were some form of toy to use while he waited for Rogue to return after mailing out the letter. "Which way did she head?" They asked as the man slowly sat up looking around as if he was trying to regain his sense of direction."She went that way...she was looking for someone with dark hair and dark eyes..." The man said brushing himself off as if he was just grumpy over a day wasted. "Are you sure that you've gotten the right woman?" Rogue asked as the man shrugged.

"There are no pictures. I've gotten this man's-" The man paused pointing towards Sting-"description its all I have to go off of. The woman had blue hair, a FairyTail mark, was probably a little dirty from traveling, and was heading that direction." The man said pointing once again. Rogue nodded as Sting let him go as they begun to walk once again, at this rate they would have to leave the town. She had already been through here. "I can't smell her." Sting grumbled as Rogue nodded. "That's why I hesitated. But at the same time there's the possibility of her scent having changed from being in a different location. Or masked." Rogue explained as Sting nodded, laughing as he rubbed his hand on the back of his head as if he were embarrassed that he had forgotten such a detail. Rogue sighed and then begun heading in such a direction. Even with the change of scent...this lead, the first one in a long long time...looked hopeful. It sounded as if Levy were looking for Gajeel, she didn't have any extra details of being hurt so far...and there was one single last detail that surprised and almost pleased them with hope-

This direction was the way to FairyTail's guild.


	5. Chapter 4: Mistakes

**Author's note: ****2 chapters today. Only because I like to spoil a certain someone. You know who you are.**

**Chapter 4**

"How much longer!?" Sting whined, his hands stuffed in his pockets, as they marched towards the next town. Falling the path in which the simple burglar had pointed them too. It was almost laughable. Such nonsense. A simple robber saying they had a lead towards whom they were looking for, for all they knew it was a false lead o they could be left alive. But a lead was a lead. Even a false one. It was better than anything he had had within his hands at the moment. "Sting be patient." Rogue grumbled, Sting was already getting impatient, a day or two of walking, shouldn't of made Sting so twitchy. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BE PATIENT! Look at this place! We're in the middle of nowhere! You-when was the last time you bathed?" Sting stopped as Rogue glanced towards him. "Don't even hide it! I can smell you!"

"Sting."

"What?"

"Don't go smelling people, it makes them uncomfortable."

"Its your fault!"

"I was going to use the bath houses in the next town. I was earning money for it on my last job."

"They'll probably let you use the bath house for free"

"What about other necessities I'm obviously not carrying?"

"Oh...well anyway...let's get to that town. But seriously next time you get an obsession you're getting Rufus or someone with you. He'll remember a daily hygiene routine" Sting grumbled as Rogue rolled his eyes. "Don't you roll your eyes at me missy! Rogue-ey! Even a normal person could smell you from three town's back!" Sting shouted pointing into random direction within the woods. "Sting, we're here already." Rogue sighed walking into the hotel ignoring the "missy" comment.

"No hotel! Bath house first!" Sting said as Rogue was already at the counter.

"The access to the bath house comes with the hotel room." Rogue sighed as the person behind the counter merrily handed him his key. "Enjoy your stay." They smiled with their feminine voice.

Rogue set his limited amount of stuff down upon the bed nearest the window as the moonlight its way in through the window. "I'm going to head out to the bath-house." Rogue said turning and walking towards that place, a towel stolen from the bathroom already in his hand, as he walked down to the hall. "I'll be there in a few. Let me unpack first!" Sting called not telling him how long he had actually been looking for Rogue.

Rogue walked out without his brother. He needed a moment. A moment to think to himself. Rogue found himself setting his stuff on the side of the boiling hot-springs just hot enough for normal people as he sunk down in them. He closed his eyes, elbow on the rocks surrounding the almost empty bath, his hand up pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought everything over. It was getting so hard. Whatever this feeling was that was welling up inside of himself. Whatever claims Sting was making currently made more sense than what he had thought himself. Images of the girl flashing within his mind. It wasn't fair he had barely known her. When he had seen the pictures of the missing FairyTail members from the s-class mission trial he had been more concerned with the faces he knew and Sting's rampaging that he hadn't been able to challenge Natsu and why had he gone missing before Sting could beat him. Rogue knew it. He knew it. He had to be honest with himself. Her bright blue hair had caught his eye for but a moment enough to read her name over, look at her face, and scan over that she was the reason that Gajeel had gone missing. "Is it guilt from that time?" He rubbed his hand over his face. No he had felt guilt before. Plenty of it. He shook his head, it wasn't time to relapse into _that_ time. What was this feeling that was wrenching its way into his gut? That made bile rise its way in his throat when he thought about quitting the search for her. "I heard there's a blue beauty a little shorter than you over a couple rooms!" A man's voice from the next pool over laughed causing Rogue to snap out of his deep thoughts. "Really? What's she like?" This man's friend replied as they talked.

"I don't know! Apparently there's a dark haired man lingering outside her door that won't let anyone see her!"

"Really? That's a letdown...maybe we should stay away from that room."

"But she's right out here."

Rogue grabbed a towel and dressed in some sweatpants as his hair was still dripping...still too wet to put up in its ponytail. He was struggling not to let himself jump the wall into the next hot spring over and smash the two men's heads together for the scent that was flowing off them. Disgusting. But he needed this lead. It could be his only one for a long, long time. "That room? Its just outside here, three doors down, and first on the left turn." A man laughed as Rogue found himself grab an extra towel throwing it over his shoulder just in case he would need it for his hair later. He attempted quelling the slight hope in his chest as he hurried down the hallway. In the direction that the men had said while not masking their conversation. Rogue pulled himself up to the door there was the possibility that this "dark-haired man" was Mard geer, otherwise known as "_The King of Hades" _was obviously sitting confidently outside, merrily, happy. Waiting for a challenge. That could've been a reason he stole her. He was bluntly looking to antagonize them. To torture them slowly. A way to whisper in their ears "you still haven't won...not against me, not even close." The words were so close and yet he couldn't reach up and punch "that" man within his face. No he had to find him first. Rogue felt his eyes widen without command as a scent flowed near his nose. This was FairyTail. It was faded as if having been out for a continuous amount of time. He felt his heart pulse. He hadn't had any plan once he found her. He had been so focused on finding her. Looking around the edge he could see no one was guarding this door. This would be the chance wherever Mard geer was, he had left Levy behind "safely" within the room. There were endless reasons of why she hadn't fled yet. It was probably safer locked behind a closed door. There was hypnotizing magic, threats, broken bones in which made him grind his teeth, being unconscious, being locked in, probably by magic, or having something she was looking for. Rogue took a step forwards hurrying into the room. He obviously wasn't combat ready but there were no other chances there were no guarantees that they wouldn't get up and leave in the middle of the night. He swung open the door. "Levy! Where are you?" He shouted watching as a blue haired girl turned around, wide-eyed, right near the door. He knew this girl. It was obvious who she was. He had remembered her face. "GRAY-SAMA!" She screamed as a pressure slapped him to the ground as he glanced up attempting to see who was the onslaught feeling another thud, possibly a growl. Sting. How could he have forgotten Sting back at the room saying he'd be down in a few minutes? "Out!" Juvia screamed as he felt like he was drowning water ushering the trio out of the room as it slammed shut. "Why did you attack my brother?!" Sting shouted as Gray was already yelling at him. "Why were you in Juvia's room while she was getting changed? Where's your dignity man!" Gray shouted as Sting looked taken aback and then glanced at him, quickly turning to shake him. "Where have you been living! Have you been living with a bunch of hooligans? I let it slide when you-" Rogue covered Sting's mouth as Gray gave Rogue a curious look as if it were to say "_when you did what?" _suspicion rising within his face.

"I heard there was a blue beaut-"

"Are you one of the perverts wandering around this town?" Gray looked defensive as he asked the question. "No..I was looking for...Levy." Gray fell silent to that as Juvia propped the door open again, now dressed in what appeared to be a blue nightgown and blue slippers that were designed with smiling raindrops all over it. _Happy rain. _That was definitely something that Gray would think up. "Ryos-chan...you've gotten so big." Juvia blinked at him as Rogue nodded.

"Yeah that's me."

"Ryos-chan has also become a big pervert."

Rogue hung his head. Great, now both his only lead were gone and one of the people from his past thought he had grown up to become a pervert. "No. Just someone who merely stumbles into bad accidents." Rogue sighed as Juvia nodded unlatching the door which had suddenly be the after thought. "Gray-sama say he was going to stay just outside the door." Juvia puffed her cheeks at him as he nodded. "I know...I know, I thought you locked the door and so I went to get us dinner." Gray said scratching the back of his head as Juvia nodded.

"What brings young Ryos-chan around here?" Juvia asked turning to Rogue who sighed.

"I heard rumors about you on the way here and they were very limited on information details...I was searching for Levy."

The FairyTail's water mage nodded and then gestured them inside with one last look outside.

"Honestly we were looking for her, we got lost on the way of following one of our leads." Gray sighed as the boys nodded listening to the story. "Juvia's sorry. But this entire building is a trap itself." Juvia explained as Rogue looked towards Juvia as if confused.

"If she leaves this room a huge amount of traps activate. They're set to register her magic. Not only that...this entire place is littered in creeps. Especially one's talking in code, there's a bounty on her head in this place." Gray sighed casting a quick glance over to Juvia who was sitting with a guilty look on her face. "Why would anyone want to do such a thing to Juvia?" Sting asked trying to get in tune with the situation. "Its because Juvia is a rain-witch." Juvia whispered as Gray sighed. "That's a stupid reason to go after anyone. I'm not letting anyone get near you especially for such a stupid reason." Gray grumbled.

"No one's getting past that door." Rogue sighed leaning against the wall as Sting's leg twitched as if he suddenly seemed to not understand something that was transpiring. "It doesn't make sense...why would they trap us here? Why not even with a reason or letting us know why?" Sting grumbled as Gray sighed. "I'm able to come and go as I please. I believe not all of us are trapped. Its a weird situation if the planning is kidnapping itself. Than the room wouldn't let me come and go as I pleased than it wouldn't of let me leave for the possibility of coming back with help." Gray explained as Sting's leg begun to twitch faster. "I understand it doesn't make sense."

Rogue sighed removing some hair from his face. These mistakes were getting worse and worse. "Than I'll just go get help and we'll turn tear the rest of this place down." Rogue sighed standing up and walked to the door as he reached for the handle electricity increasing zapping his hand as he pulled his hand quickly away. "I thought you said we could leave." Rogue growled. "We can watch I was just outside." Gray replied opening the door and walking out without a problem. "Sting. Take a chance and walk through that door." Rogue sighed as Sting jumped up nodding hurrying over to the door as if he had begun to think that this was some sort of game. Sting, disappointingly to himself, managed to pass through the door. The duo stared back into the door. "What do those two have in common that we don't?" Sting grumbled walking back in the door as Gray locked it behind him already a weapon forming within Gray's hand at spotting some of the men staying within the place down the hall. "The scent in the halls is sickening." Sting sighed flopping down on the floor. "We'll just have to stay here for the night." Rogue said as Juvia lit up. "Juvia can't slumber with other men at her side! Its not okay!" She said a bright hue as Sting got up quickly throwing his hands in defense position as if he didn't even know that he was doing anything wrong. "We'll take the couches and the floor." Rogue sighed as Juvia nodded. "Juvia's sorry, Ryos-chan she jumped to conclusions." Juvia explained as they all nodded. "Juvia shall keep Gray-Sama by her side." She smiled happily obviously baiting him in.

"I don't plan to leave your side." Gray said as Juvia obviously took this the wrong way lighting up.

Juvia had gotten her bed while Gray stayed on the floor near her, after that Sting had quickly made dibs on the couch while Rogue wound up on the floor next to the couch. They were in the middle of practically a full scale researching rescue mission. And now they were the prey. They couldn't leave. They were the one's trapped. Rogue put an arm over his eyes as he stared up at the roof without actually looking at it, his mind obviously far away somewhere else. Is this how Levy was feeling? For the last few months as her time was being ripped away from her all over again. Trapped like a mouse in a cage. It wasn't something for a dragon slayer. Not being trapped in this tiny room. He had even wondered what had subdued Sting to not rampaging and tearing up the room as the solution to the problem which was probably summed up to just pure curiosity. Rogue heard Sting flip over, glancing just over to his "brother" who was staring down from the couch. "What?" He asked it wasn't his job to play bathroom escort so that better of not been the reason that Sting was staring down at him like a child with tons of questions obviously flowing in the back of his curious blue eyes. "I've been thinking..." Sting paused for dramatic increase apparently since it was almost unnecessary to pause before he begun to speak once again-

"What if it just isn't Juvia as the target...

but all the previous members of PhantomLord?"


	6. Chapter 5: Memories

**Chapter 5**

The hours ticked by as each of them took a turn to watch the door waiting for their captor to come and retrieve them. Whoever had thought out this plan had not thought out this plan very well. It was purely executed and asking to get beaten up. Rogue slipped out of bed, his turn, to watch the door. Sting was already sitting at the door. Completely asleep seeming as if he was staring out the door continuously. Rogue sighed sitting down next to the door. Whoever had created this trap was purely an idiot. But they were also idiots at the same time expecting this man to be stupid enough to come right on through the front door. And right through the front door he came. Approximately at one o'clock in the early morning hours. "Let us out!" Rogue found himself growling as he made it to the door, his hand barely swiping their cloth, halfway out the door before the magic activated sending him flying back crashing right into sleeping Sting. "Huh...I did question putting your magic into the system. Shocking that it was actually necessary" The man said squatting down as he examined him from the floor just outside the door safely as if he were some sort of zoo animal out for display. "Come here, let me see how big you've gotten." This person teased as the door from Juvia' s room was struggling to be unlocked. The scent that was moving was her's. Gray seemed to be asleep at the foot of her bed still. "Is everything alright?" She asked moving outside in her pajamas as she caught the attention of this man. "Dear Juvia. I just couldn't let you leave. You were a valuable asset." This man laughed as terror stretched a crossed her face Gray's footsteps suddenly up and walking towards the door upon noticing that Juvia wasn't there. "No! Don't come out here!" She shouted as her arm turned into water smashing the door shut. "Come on Juvia, there's no shame in what you've done. You should be proud of all your accomplishments." This man laughed and then turned towards Rogue. "You've even gotten someone I've been looking for a long, long time. You'd wonder with Gajeel's streak back then and how he treated the other guild members why he would hide the little dragon slayer." This man laughed seeming as if he was going to reach in the door and pat Rogue on the head. "Rogue! Move!" Juvia shouted shoving the pile of dragon slayers back where Sting blinked his eyes open. "Did you know about Gajeel hiding him too?" This man asked as Sting scanned him over. He obviously seemed familiar to the young blue-haired fairy tail wizard as Rogue rolled off of him, there was a mix of shock, fury, and confusion blazing within the shadow dragon slayer's eyes as he stared at their captor just sitting outside the door realizing that he was completely safe.

"What does Jose want with Juvia-Chan?" Juvia asked seeming to pull away from the man who seemed to wear a guise of a gentle smile. "You know this boy can't possibly like you. Come back to us. I'm reforming the PhantomLord guild. You know this is the only place we can accept such a woman. PhantomLord's beautiful S-class rainwoman." Jose smiled extending his hand as he seemed to only notice her as she pulled away. "Juvia-Juvia wants to stay with Gray."

"He hasn't even noticed you once has he?"

"He made Juvia's rain stop."

"We at PhantomLord cared for you even with your rain. Did he love your rain?"

Juvia paused Gray's voice when he first saw her weather echoing within her head_ "Man, isn't this gloomy." _

"Come here Juvia." Jose beckoned as Juvia reached up only for her wrist to be caught by a certain ice mage. "It doesn't matter what you've done in your past. To me you have no shames. FairyTail is your home with or without the rain." Gray barked while his eyes contained fierce daggers of bitter ice. Jose sighed and then glanced over towards the "boy" sitting on the floor. "And what about you? Wasn't it one of your aspirations to join our guild before we dismantled?" Jose asked as Rogue's eyes became wide. "You can't have my brother!" Sting shouted and within the blink of an eye the blonde was already out the door and have the former master of PhantomLord on the ground a new bruise a crossed his face. "I don't know who you are but you can't have him. He's a member of SaberTooth now. Nothing you say can change his mind!"

"What if I say I have information on where that little bluenette that Gajeel brutalized for me on where she is? What was her name again...hm..."

"Don't you dare." This was coincidentally Gray growling actually being there remembering the event as anger boiled within his chest. This situation wasn't just going to go up and over everyone's head once he mentioned what had happened.

"Let me think I've got it..."

"Don't you dare." Juvia grabbed Gray's arms pulling him back. "Juvia don't stop me!"

"Juvia just wants to find Levy-Chan. Any piece of information is a good information even if its wrong!"

"If its wrong he's going to freeze to death. Slowly."

"You won't have to worry about dirtying your hands." Rogue said slowly standing up as he looked towards Jose whose eyes became wide as if they saw something he clearly didn't understand. Malice. Bloodlust. It was easily there in those pure red eyes. "I've been hunting for two months. I'm exhausted." Rogue explained as Jose nodded seeming to understand how dangerous of a situation that he truly was in. "PhantomLord was part of one of the a-alliances so back at the old base is the records of where all of their old bases were...and one of them seems to glow...its just past this town..I was trying to gather the old members of the guild so that I could rejoin the alliance."

"They'll just kill you. Don't bother."

And that was that. Sting beat the heck out of Jose until the magic that kept Rogue and Juvia locked within a room finally came down. "Guess we're tagging along for this mission to find Levy." Gray smiled such a topic seeming to lighten his mood.

"Juvia-chan's happy that she'll get to see Levy-chan once again." Juvia nodded as the twin dragons nodded at each other.

"Are you sure?"

"Levy's one of our's of course."

"Okay."

"Its still early." It was approximately two o'clock in the morning as they left the hotel stealing any supplies they could. "What was that place?" Juvia glanced back towards the building once again. Obviously a hotel on the outside as Rogue pulled a paper out of his pocket. "Figures Sting would have to pick the kidnapping guild as a place to stay for the night." Rogue grumbled as Sting shrugged. "Any information upon them at all is worth at least ten thousand jewels. You do understand that right Sting?" Rogue sighed as Sting nodded at Rogue's lecture over safety concerns. "But now I have the information on them turned in, the taxes, money, and extra things are put into Sabertooth's account. I've been thinking ahead. I'm still the guild master you know." Sting smiled triumphantly. As Rogue took a glance at Juvia and Gray walking ahead, Juvia holding onto Gray's arm smiling as she said something about "white knight in shining armor" Gray apparently trying to brush the act off while having the scent of...powerlessness flowing off of him. He felt like he hadn't helped. It was obvious, but he was hiding that from Juvia. This wasn't his place to say anything.

"Juvia." Rogue called as Juvia glanced back towards the dragon slaying duo, acknowledging them. "What did he mean when he said that Gajeel was hiding me?" Rogue asked as Juvia's smile faded, her arm loosened around Gray, and then she looked back towards Rogue. "Juvia and Gajeel-kun were hiding Ryos-Chan after finding Ryos-chan in the woods and discovering that Ryos-chan was a dragon slayer...Jose...Jose had been on a dragon slayer hunt for the longest time to see who he could brainwash from a child up. Gajeel-kun thought it'd be dangerous with your abilities if Jose was capable of getting a hold of you...Jose...Jose was desperate and even had several lacrimas installed into kidnapped children..." Juvia stopped and begun looking at the road in front of her. As Sting glanced away understanding what that meant. Especially since Gajeel, although normal, was the only dragonslayer to make it out of there alive. "Not all children make it thru the process." Juvia begun again. "And where he was taking them from...they didn't have the food or the bodies to survive the situation to begin with." Juvia whispered as she looked up at Gray with eyes that looked like she was going to push him away. "Juvia's sorry...Juvia, Juvia helped kidnap these children." She whispered reaching up to push him away as Gray pulled her closer. "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't. He would've gone out and taken other children anyway." Gray whispered as she nodded into his chest.

"Let's set up here for the night." Sting sighed approximately at three in the morning, in the middle of the forest, still too far away from the next town to see the town's light.

And that's what they did.


	7. Chapter 6: NightMares

**Chapter 6**

Rogue awoke to the sounds of a groggy Sting sleepwalking around the campfire. Well it was mostly sleep walking. Sting was practically already awake. "Aren't you ever going to sleep?" Sting grumbled looking a crossed the fire as the sun behind them barely rose.

"I am. When I find her."

"You almost sound obsessive."

"...I won't argue with your point."

"Have you tried tracing any of the leads yet?"

"I haven't found anything." Rogue sighed, reluctantly, as he stared towards his "twin" dragon slayer as that man smiled digging around for something in his pocket. "I remembered this after everyone was out last night. I wasn't stupid enough to go looking without any leads you know." Sting grumbled as Rogue rolled his eyes, in a Rogue-like fashion, quiet but not unnoticed. Rogue went to reach for it as Sting snatched it away. "I'll tell you in the morning, but first you have to go to sleep. Just once, I know you, you look like you haven't slept in days." Sting grumbled looking at him suspiciously. "I used to. Now I just use those wasted hours looking for _her." _Rogue said flipping over and staring up at the stars, he could almost, just almost trace out Levy's face within the stars. "Sleep. You won't even see her if you're looking at the back of your eyelids now would you?" Sting grumbled as Rogue nodded. Nothing would happen. Sting was on lookout. It was his turn. He could trust in his partner, just like-before it had all happened-when everything was "But looking at the insane madness swirling around inside my own ahead I just-". Rogue felt his heavy eyelids close on their own slowly memories, visions, dreams and possibly hallucinations from lack of sleep rushing back to him.

Pictures and images only an insane person would understand that he clearly didn't passed threw his exhausted head. The idea of finding a unicorn which wasn't as strange as it sounded since he **was **indeed raised by a dragon, the random colors that shifted in his eyes, and then oh...the situation that he dreaded...already resurfacing from the insanity that formed its way in each night beneath his eyelids. Not something that was insane that his brain was trying to conjure up to fight the exhaustion. Fighting exhaustion with insanity that was a laugh. But the problem with the final door that he had to open...not a door of insanity or wild dreams that he would never conjure up while he was awake, what a joke, only if...not this door...this door was a door of a memory sitting there in the back of his mind. Like a predator in the wait for their prey. Waiting patiently, constantly there, and would eventually get what they were looking for. The door swung itself open. That stupid door that he could never ever hold shut no matter how much mental strength he put into it. Gajeel's screaming echoed thru.

"_What do you mean I haven't been looking for her? She saved all our lives! She saved my sorry ass! Of course I've been looking for her every single night and day!" Gajeel's looked desperate as if something even he wasn't understanding was brimming underneath his own orbs. Rogue understood what this meant. It wasn't that simple. It wasn't as simple as Gajeel's saying that she had saved them all. He could smell __**her**__ on him. She had kissed him. Something so passionate or intimated. Had happened with Gajeel. He curled his fist. It made him sick. Sick with rage. He wanted to just reach over to Gajeel, simply for that smell upon his lips, and-_

Rogue let out a breath wiping his eyes open. Surely that next thought. He couldn't hear it. He didn't want to hear it. The murderous intent that was lingering around the corner. The possessiveness that echoed in his bones. "I won't turn into someone...someone like _that_ man." Rogue whispered to himself feeling the sweat echo on the traces of his face and down his back. He couldn't...he didn't want to. Become _that _man. The one who had engaged in the Grand Magic Games. The one who had overflowed the place momentarily with death and other things unsightly. Rogue pulled himself up, everyone in the camp already asleep, as he trudged to the nearby water source. Splashing himself in the face several times until he finally acknowledge the blonde blob that was shimmering behind him within the water. "What?" He asked as Sting looked at him a face that would've been something of bemusement before meeting the "other" type of guild now gone and filled with blue pools of worry within his eyes. "Rogue are you going to be okay?" Sting asked seeming appalled as Rogue checked over Sting's head for horns. Oh gosh. How the insanity felt getting to him. To the point he couldn't understand if he was awake or asleep anymore. Being awake. Both a relief and a nightmare. _HIS _nightmare. Nothing inside his head could this insanity conjure up that was different from having this girl, this blue headed fairy, by his side. That would surely relieve even the tiniest bit of the insanity that was threatening to overwhelm him, Rogue splashed water in his face once again, no he wasn't insane. Exhausted. Not insane. He would not become the man who had stood in the center of dying people...utterly laughing his heart out. This was just exhaustion speaking tempting his mind with strange thoughts. "Rogue?" Sting called again as Rogue nodded through the bubbling water.

"I'm fine, Sting, give me a moment." He said underneath the water as the _White Dragon Slayer Twin _gave an exasperated sigh. "Don't drown yourself." Sting said almost half serious as he walked back to the camp before anything too weird could happen back at the camp. Which it was already too late for that as Gray and Juvia seemed to be deep into a heated talking with each other while Gray, poorly, attempted to brush her off. Simply because he couldn't it was obvious how he felt. Annoyingly obvious.

There wasn't time for that. Rogue pulled his dripping wet hair out of the water heading back towards the camp. Only to find an even weirder sight than what Sting was **supposed **to be stopping. Sting was antagonizing both of the FairyTail mages, teasing Juvia out of pure fun, and possibly teasing Gray who was sitting indian style his leg continuously twitching attempting to not be obvious as he was while watching as Sting had his arm wrapped around Juvia's shoulders. Sting was probably the next Loke playboy in the making, or at least a fill in while he was out fulfilling his duties as a celestial spirit to Lucy, cooing words that he had picked up from his travels in her ear as she blushed fiercely trying to come up with a reply.

"Juvia, Juvia only likes Gra-"

"Enough already! I can't let anyone from another guild have her! She's FairyTail's!"

"What if I joined?"

"You can't just go and do that! You're the leader of SaberTooth!"

"Well I-"

"Sting stop teasing her." Rogue sighed walking back as Sting looked in between embarrassed and shrugging. "Just trying to motivate Gray to be more of a man." Sting teased as Gray attempted to not turn a shade of red and come up with an argument in return.

"Last night, you promised those papers." Rogue outheld a hand waiting for Sting to drop the papers in his hand. "After you promise to not kill me over holding out on you." Sting mumbled casually as a scene played in the back of Rogue's mind. The himself from the future...had claimed to have killed Sting. Was this the reason? Were they already on the wrong course? Rogue shook his head. No, they had solved whatever that was that lay ahead. Rogue shook those away, Sting was simply saying something trying to lighten the mood. Something friends, _brothers, _would say to each other under normal circumstances. And to them? This was a normal circumstance. Not for long at least. "I got myself a lead while you were sleeping last night on the papers I picked up from FairyTail." Sting said triumphantly as Rogue felt questions surface immediately. _When had Sting made time to go to FairyTail? What kind of lead? Was it false hope? Would it help? _"And what exactly is it?" Rogue asked crossing his legs as he sat down on a log waiting for what would probably be a painfully long explanation of the "brave Sting and his exploits".

"I made a trip to FairyTail to ask about this lady...the lady that Mard Geer had called Veronica. And low and behold that the master there did actually have records on her."

Rogue flinched, visibly flinched, this was the first time he had heard such a thing.

"And for the final piece!" Sting puffed his chest out as if he were a triumphant lion.

"The next town saw her pass through recently."


	8. Chapter 7: Moonlight

**Chapter 7**

Veronica. Veronica. Veronica. They looked at the roughly sketched picture of the woman again. Rogue could feel the picture slowly crumbling within his hand over the hidden aggravation that was behind the mask he was attempting to wear throughout the city. Gray was taking the left sidewalk, Juvia the right, Sting was going into each bar and making sure that no one had seen this woman there. "Are you sure this woman is our lead?" Rogue asked as Sting nodded.

"Of course! I mean she has hair just like Levy and the "man" said her name over and over before...ya know..." Sting said as Rogue nodded. This woman had to be their lead.

"I know."

"We will find her...everyone's trying their best...FairyTail wouldn't give up on one of their own."

"I know."

"Why does that answer sound slightly disappointed?"

"Does not. We're all looking aren't we?"

An exasperated sigh was shared between two dragon slayers before screaming started on one of the sidewalks running away from Juvia as Gray started getting pelted with random objects on the street. "Out of here! How dare you come after her majesty!" An old lady screamed pelting him with more objects. "Wicked foul beast!" Another called from the window as everyone withdrew from Juvia. "Juvia doesn't understand what's happening!" Juvia shouted throwing her hands over her head in an attempt to defend herself from the non-magical beings without hurting them as the twin dragon slayers made their way back to the duo reinforcing it into a pack. "We're sorry. We're looking for our friend...we believe she might be related to this woman!" Gray shouted as the villagers stopped throwing things and begun looking at each other questioningly. "Why would you make up such a foul lie!" The elderly woman spat.

"I would never lie about my guildmates!" Gray boomed as they hesitantly looked at each other the elderly woman becoming some sort of spokesperson for them all. The crowd whispered amongst each other slowly and indecisively. "What can we have that proves you are allies to her?" The elderly woman whispered gingerly as if she testing them.

"What do you mean! We're trying to rescue her-!" Sting said booming voice becoming silent as he watched Rogue's appeal.

"I have nothing. Merely bonds and chance meetings with her. I want to meet...I want to meet again."

"Tell me what you truly want boy. I do not have time for your trivial lies."

A quick silence and muttering passed through both the city and the travels. Sting going back and forth between shifting his weight on each leg.

"He wouldn't lie. Not in a situation like this."

"What do you think this woman wants while stopping our chances to meet our guildmate again?"

"Juvia doesn't know."

The townspeople murmured waiting for the raven haired man's answer as the elderly lady begun to turn away a second before the words managed to make their escape through his mouth.

"I want to meet Levy again! I have a desperate insane need inside my head whispering, wishing, that she'll look at me the way my mind has buzzed looking for her these last several months."

"I thought so boy. Those are the eyes of a desperate man." The elderly lady laughed. "I saw those eyes once. Happy they were. Eyes that sung and danced when no one else could see them. Oh how those ruby jewels were. That night he bought her so many things that she didn't even know of. Oh but the best was when he took her out and kissed her on the lake. How brave he was. Such a man burning with passion." The old lady sighed glancing over to Sting who was pacing restlessly wishing the old lady would get her speech over with already. "Passion that was not returned I suppose. And eyes that I had seen in another world." The old lady sighed. Something...sad. About the way she looked towards the twin dragon slayers. "Alright. I'll let _one_ of you meet her." The group all looked at each other nodding. "But I shall choose who comes with me." The elderly lady explained as the group nodded.

"Any piece of information. We've got to find her." They agreed as they turned back to the woman who ultimately chose Rogue to follow her.

Through woods and up into an iced over mountain they went trudging past it into a cave. "Oh eyes so much like your's they were beautiful. They all called me crazy for remembering such things." The elderly lady laughed as Rogue glanced towards her wondering if she was exactly in her right mind. "Mame' what are you talking about?" He asked waiting for her reply as she shook her head silver braids wagging in the wind that was almost the color to match. "Guess, you wouldn't know either. This was the world you had wished for now wasn't it?" She laughed as he glanced towards her. "I'm not sure this is what I would've wished for."

"Not exactly boy, wishes work in such funny ways." She smiled lighting the candle as they walked. Rogue nodded, mostly to appease the woman, while he thought over such words inside his head. "We're here, be careful. Veronica hasn't really ever liked dark haired men. But the way you begged I'm sure she'll like you. Well I wouldn't call it begging either. Veronica hates begging." The woman laughed turning to leave the cave before some last words of parting. "Remember to stop by old Obba's on the way down. I'll be sitting around with your friends there." She laughed then walked her way out with the candle.

Rogue glanced around the cave. It was beautiful cave and surprising that no one had found it in its winter terrain. He walked further down the strange moonlight corridor. Flowers encircled the roof and a giant lake sat in front of him washing the room over with light blues and lights from the reflected moon and stars. A clear woman sat near the water, her blue hair echoing off of it as he silently approached. "Hello." He called as she looked up wide-eyed.

"How'd you get in here?" She hissed as he pointed towards the exit. This was something he would have to be patient in. He scanned the barely visible female over. She definitely looked like Levy. But she was dressed in something far older than anything that the outside world would've carried. "Obba let me in." He explained putting himself in the bowing position as he stared at the floor his hair engulfing his face. "Please listen to my request."

"Get out! Out!" She shouted as he felt an object pass near him. Surely she was already throwing things at him. "I hate men! I hate you all!" She shouted as he looked up towards her. Surely this wasn't Levy's mother. The woman with Levy's face completely distraught and confused as she attempted to remove him from her cave. "My name is Rogue Cheney. And I need your help." He stated once again trying to get the female's attention.

"Get out of my cave you creatin! Out! I hate men! Especially those with your hair color!"

"I need your help! I'm looking for my friend! And you're my only lead!" Rogue could feel his shadows begin to swirl at his feet pending post aggravation. "I won't move from this spot!"

The woman backed away slowly and begun nodding. "Who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking...for Levy McGarden. We were in the middle of big fight with an enemy guild when she got kidnapped...I haven't seen her...in nearly two months." He explained as she nodded.

"I won't be of much assistance to you." The woman sighed as he looked up, shocked, why wouldn't this woman assist him? "While I'm glad that there's someone looking for my daughter...I can't leave this cave. I simply do not exist anymore." She sighed as he continued staring at her. Surely she was blue and see through but he had brushed that situation off as being another one of his mad delusions from exhaustion. "I can't leave this cave...he'll come back and find me...so...

_I need you to save my daughter." _The essence whispered as he nodded still attempting to blink his insanity away once again.

A dead end. Literally. He walked forwards having parted with the spirit and was already back into the town. He knew it. The simplest little things that brought him hope always lead him to something else. It wasn't even close. He wanted to put his bets on that she hadn't even ever been in this city before in his life as he scanned it over. A flash of tents echoing the streets covered in festivities, lines, tents filled with books, and then the lake. Oh how something about that lake was drawing him closer. The lake with a beautiful wooden structure displayed over the lake where two star-crossed lovers probably stood once to be torn a crossed by a single man. Flames encircling cities. He shook his head. These delusions weren't good he would easily get confused by the simplest actions if these delusions insisted upon echoing with his head. There was no festivities going on during this day. He felt his eyes begin to search the city looking for the blue hair that stuck out like a sore thumb. The beautiful blue that echoed off her naturally and uncommonly that one couldn't help but want to steal an extra glance towards.

Searching so hard that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. Eventually winding up stumbling right into a wall. No...that wasn't a wall..it was too soft. He opened his eyes looking at them as they drew back calling him various names under their breath. "Sorry." He mumbled staring at this woman with cascading black hair. He had seen her somewhere before. Where was she? "You could at least apologize." The voice said. Even the voice sounded familiar. It was hazy unexplainably familiar though. He scanned her over once again trying to discover where this familiar sensation was coming from. She had black hair that cascaded all the way down past her boots, a long black jacket on over that, some shorts, and a t-shirt under that. Nothing obvious seemed to stick out. Was it a smell that he had smelled in another city?...No...this was the girl that he...had mistaken for _Levy. _That waitress girl from days ago. "Levy! Is that really you?" He asked without even realizing that his hands were moving as he accidentally shoved her to the ground in his excitement looking her over. That was definitely her. Questions swarmed his mind. "I have no idea what you're talking about!" She snapped pushing him off. "I don't know you!" She shouted jumping up and running past him her half hanging jacket swinging in the breeze as it did a poor job of covering up what it was supposed to hide-

-the fairytail symbol carved onto her left shoulder blade.

**Author's note: ****Alright quick teaser...who knows where they are? Raise your hands!**


	9. Chapter 8: Shadows

**Author's note: ****Please remember to thank **_**2-Dragon-Slayer-2 **_**for checking this over for me since we might not of had this out forever if I waited upon a Beat-Reader to check it since no one was answering when I asked for help.**

**Chapter 8**

"Please! For five seconds listen! We've been searching for you for two months!" He shouted pushing himself off from the ground once again to chase her as she glanced back over her shoulder, eyes-wide as if she was some sort of culprit that wasn't supposed to get caught in the first place. "Levy!" He called managing to dodge the first sets of barrels that she swung down from the closing up shacks in town much to the workers' dismays as he chased her. "My name isn't Levy! My name is Lizann! I have no idea what you want!" She shouted picking up speed. For such a little being she was extremely fast. She was right there. Right within his reach. That had to be her. Why had she run from him? Why couldn't he ever reach her? "Levy! Please! That's definitely your smell! Please I know you! Come back!" He shouted attempting to chase her as several of the townsfolk attempted jumping on him in the street. "We've got the no good stalker! Run girl run!" They shouted as he struggled to throw them all off without injuring any of the townsfolk whom appeared to have no trace or scent of magic on them whatsoever. "She's not in her right mind! Let go! I need to help her!" He shouted attempting to pull away as the townsfolk seemed to feel triumphant. "See? What'd I tell you? This one is bad no matter how you look at him! Total stalker or a hooligan. He's definitely into that dark type of stuff." One of the men stated as another nodded. "Get off my back!" He shouted accidentally chucking one when he attempted to go forwards. There was little to no remorse within such an action especially if they were going to keep him away from _her_ after two months of searching a few complaints to the guild wouldn't be too bad if he could just stretch out and reach that girl that was looking back towards everyone completely confused.

"What the hell are you guys doing to my brother?!" Sting's voice shouted as suddenly all the weight was lifted causing everyone to catapult in opposite ways. "Shit. Dude that was impressive. How many? Like fifty guys were all trying to pile on you." Sting said squatting down towards where Rogue was panting staring at her silhouette run into the distance. "They were stopping me...I found Levy...she's just that way." He panted as Sting nodded.

"I'll go" He said instantly jolting up and dropping the package of groceries at his own feet to probably attempt to be picked up later. Sting's feet sounding in the distance chasing her they should've been his feet. They _**should've**_ been his feet. "Man what went on here?" Gray's voice asked as his and Juvia's steps echoed towards the crowd. "Ryos-chan!" Juvia was suddenly at his side examining him over and glancing around. "Did these people do this to Ryos'-chan?" She asked seeming panicked as she looked at each of them as if they were monsters. They weren't. But at the current moment in time that's how he had felt. "I'll be up in a second." He said rising to his knees once again as Sting came back. "You find he-rrr..." Rogue begun as he looked up towards his brother who seemed in between deciding if he should feel triumphant or aggravated.

"Man, kidnapping people is hard."

"Than let go already! I said I don't know you! Who are you?"

"Why do people even do it?"

As Sting and the Levy-with-black-hair argued, Sting obviously having a much tighter grip around her wrist then she possibly had ability to get away, well at least that's what the magic _stigma _forming on her wrist was for anyway. "This one right Rogue?" He asked as Rogue nodded in reply. "Is that Levy-chan?" Juvia whispered upon noticing the no longer bluenette.

"Yeah." They both replied.

"Let's hurry back to Lady Obba's house...I don't like the looks that the villagers are staring at everyone with." Gray instructed as everyone nodded agreeing that it would be best be the plan as they felt the glares of the city burn into their backs as they hurried back towards Obba opening the door. "Come, come! Stay the night!" Obba insisted rushing them inside as they nodded.

They quickly walked in shutting the door behind them as they hit several of the locks, Obba nodding in approval before muttering some words, and moving to the kitchen to prepare dinner for her unexpected guests. Sting set Levy down on the couch as everyone blinked at her unconscious form. She was definitely different. Cascading dark hair, dark clothes, probably a little taller too "Levy-Chan is still Levy-chan on the inside right?" Juvia asked interrupting all of their thoughts. "Of course she is." Rogue replied as everyone nodded taking seats around the house as they awaited for the petite mage to wake up, Sting working on removing his magic without waking the sleeping mage. "My god, Rogue, next time you chase a girl, don't chase one brimming with magic." Sting said flopping down on the floor as if there were a couch there, exhausted. "Sure..whatever makes you happy." Rogue sighed sitting down on a chair within the room as they all waited patiently and silently for the no longer bluenette to stir. "What made Ryos-Chan so obsessed with getting Levy-Chan back?" Juvia asked sitting near him while Gray insisted on going on his own to go make them all sandwiches from the kitchen. "I don't know." He sighed shaking his head, something...that something, the relief, that was supposed to wash over him only seemed further away from his grasps as he looked at her. Something was definitely missing. She was missing pieces of her memories that was a defiant. What else? Of course her hair was black but if she wanted the blue back all's she would have to do was dye it back, or cut the black and wait for the blue to grow back. "Juvia is going to be honest, Juvia wants to root for both Gajeel-kun and Ryos-chan, so Juvia can't root for either of Gajeel-kun or Ryos-chan." Juvia explained as Rogue nodded accepting her offering of luck. In her own "Juvia-like" way. "Come here boy." Lady Obba said entering the room as the trio turned to look at her who nodded beckoning Rogue. "We need to talk." She said as he nodded getting up. "Remember we're a team." Sting said as Rogue nodded understanding the words. "_You're supposed to share with me what happened to you in that cave, also tell me what she needs." _also it was a Sting's own way of saying that he would be just in there if anything went wrong.

"There is something you should observe." Obba explained as he nodded moving the curtains that were in between each door out of his way carefully. "Careful, but I understand this is something...that you must see." She explained as he nodded moving forwards, now on his own, as he glanced around the room. It seemed it would catch any wizard or mage's attention. It was a room that glowed in a beautiful reflecting blue, shelves of diamonds and orbs cascaded down various hallways. Voices and whispers of careful secrets encircled him as he looked through the crystals and crystal balls stacked upon the shelves. Words and treasures that didn't belong to him, images flashing within the orbs that he probably should've never seen. _"Be careful this town was made by him to protect her." _Faces. Familiar and unknown both radiated off of the crystals that glowed within the room. He felt a smile press its way to his lips as he looked at one that glowed with the _Grand Magic Games. _His smile falling when he noticed they were the winner's of the Grand Magic Games...they're guild the same and Minerva obviously using them as a puppet. Sting moving mindlessly to answer her every whim. Yukino was wandering the streets by herself several people glancing at her as she attempted to hide her keys from onlookers, celestial spirit mages were rare to begin with and it was obvious she knew that she was in danger without being affiliated with a guild but was apparently still refusing to be associated with any of them since "that" incident. The gates to Eclipse never opened with SaberTooth winning the _Grand Magic Games. _

Rogue felt himself walk forwards moving past the crystal orb. At least within that one they were all relatively close to safe, although an ending like that, would've drove him insane. He felt himself pass another orb, the old ladies' words returning to him, "_This is the world you wished for" _as he glanced towards the orb. Something was strangely alluring about this one as he reached tempted to pick it up but veered away from it. It was strange watching the entire thing as if it were a movie. He wanted to reach out and touch this orb, it was so careful, kind of beautiful, both nostalgically familiar yet unknown to his own mind. Beautiful images of happiness flashed in front of his eyes. Meeting _her _in such a strange way, and...winning. He smiled looking down at the orb as it passed thru the days where they would accidentally start meeting each other as if it were some form of fate. They were even in a town on what seemed to be a date as she wore a white dress dancing happily as they went from tent to tent laughing and loving the night not caring about the next night.

The scene that played in front of his eyes as that night they snuck out onto the lake, a time of passion shared between each other over the bridge on the lake. Images flashing in front of him at a rapid pace as suddenly the _Grand Magic Games _were already ending and the entire place was abrupt with fire. _"Tell me...tell me, once more time...that you hate me.." Gajeel whispered to her. "I h-hate y-you so m-much." her voice shook tears running down her face as Gajeel's eyes slid shut. "Don't you know...I love you!? I love you, you-you idiot! I love you! Don't fall asleep! Someone will be here to help us! Stay with me... I love you...Gajeel?" Levy struggled to keep her voice at a whisper as it kept reverting in-between a whisper and a scream. _Screams of frustration broke out threw a seemingly happy world as Rogue felt the orb that had somehow found the way to his hand almost crack under pressure. The next scenes shifting of the _Grand Magic Games _they had experienced, he had become possessed by his own shadow. The problem in that world which was a common occurrence, the shadow he didn't know constantly lingering at his feet. As the world shifted he had stolen a kiss from Levy without even the chance to see if she would return it this time, just this time. That person..that person was fighting...fighting to rescue her from a fate, where it caused her distraught...even at losing in his own personal battle. That person wasn't him. Rogue felt his eyes glance through the orbs once again carefully checking each of them over. One single world. That's all he wanted. One single one, that these orbs were showing him. Where everything would be okay. That wasn't screaming of the shadows in their hearts.

"Where is my happy ending?"


	10. Chapter 9: Confusion

**Authors ANNOUNCEMENT: ****I am currently looking for a Beta-Reader to use while my cousin is away, because she goes away occasionally to a place where I am unable to contact her. I promise to keep chapters sort those days. It is relatively impossible for me to get a PM back from any of the Beta-Readers out there, which is driving me insane. If anyone would be interested please send me a PM. I'm on **_**almost**_** all of the time and will reply ASAP. **

**Chapter 9**

Rogue watched as all of the crystal balls rolled, words and whispers of passion being said only to be torn away only moments later in bloody screams, simply glowing a peaceful blue in the darkened room. How ironic it all was. Such peaceful lights, for such gory scenes full of hopelessness. "I don't even know what I want in here." Rogue whispered running his hand threw his hair as his ruby eyes glanced around the entire room wondering why Lady Obba would let him in such a place. Such a morbid place that didn't even have on single happy ending. "Have you had your fill?" Lady Obba whispered standing at the door as he looked towards her hoping that his eyes weren't full of confusion but looking like they normally did hopefully a barrier keeping everyone out. "Its alright honey," Lady Obba whispered sitting down next to where he was kneeling looking at the shelves. "Out of all of them I like this one the most...we met actually in this one." She whispered picking up a little orb where everything was seeming to go fine. They were at the Grand Magic Games already in it. "She's no one...just the woman who has my heart." She smiled repeating the words that he had said as they ventured out. The orb flipping back once again to where they first met in the icy snow. The orb passing thru the days, quickly at that, back to a kiss over the lake, back to sweet days, back to...the ending..."The ending is so bittersweet...its something I like." She whispered as he glanced at Lady Obba, blinking at her. "Not a single time...have I ended in...a seemingly 'okay' way." He whispered as Lady Obba shook her head. "Life isn't about having _**your **_own happy ending." She whispered looking lovingly at the orb that contained yet again a sad ending. "Than what is it?" He sighed as she smiled holding up the orb.

"What do you see in here?"

"Another ending where I lose everything."

"Yes. In every ending where you pursue that girl sitting out there on the couch you never end up happy. Maybe its because she's meant for someone else. But at the same time look at this ending once again."

"I don't see what you're showing me."

"That's because its not obvious, but beautiful. You see this man here." Lady Obba stopped and pointed at him, exhausted, weary, burying his friends and "family" alike. There was nothing peaceful about the ending she was looking at. The ending where he wound up burying almost everyone, with the exception of two people who one he would later kill while trying to save them all, there was nothing happy about such an ending.

"This man here." She stopped and pointed at the exhausted him laying on the ground defeated at Natsu's feet, smiling, it was a sad smile, but the best he could conjure up after the so acclaimed "seven years" of torture. "Gave up all of his chances to be with that girl." She smiled twirling the orb in her hand as he blinked at her as she smiled towards him. "So he could watch her be happy with another man from afar." She whispered as the scene changed, slowly, the colors became happy and it was the day of the ball after the grand magic games. Lady Obba traced their faces during the ball a kind look upon her heart. It was obvious even if he stole a dance in that world he wouldn't get her heart, that girl was already looking over towards Gajeel who wasn't even paying attention to her at the current moment in time. But that was alright with that man...that man who wasn't even him but looked like him, as long as he got the couple seconds with her.

"Love isn't about yourself. Its about how you treat the other. Even if they don't know it." Lady Obba smiled as he nodded. "Why...do you think we always all die in the end...Is it not okay for someone like me to fall in love?" He whispered glancing at her as Lady Obba sighed.

"Of course its okay. You'll find your own happy ending one day." She whispered smiling as he nodded finally understanding that faint smile as the keeper of memories that she kept. "Just not in her is what you're trying to advise me isn't it?" He whispered glancing at Lady Obba.

"In all of these orbs, I'm a smart old lady, who's given you two years and years worth of advice...that's just not who I am. I'm a bad gambler. So if I was going to say that you two would work I would lose. So don't mind me betting against you." She smiled before walking towards the door, hand pressed to the door her voice lowering to a whisper that a normal human wouldn't of been able to hear. "Please find happiness this time. I'm so tired of watching the sadness over and over. _**Please."**_ As she headed out.

He watched his own hand roll the orb over and over in-between his thumb and his pointer finger as the images changed over and over. Decisions of his own being made. Decisions of his own being destroyed. He watched the orb within his hand. There was no way this man could've possibly been him, sure he looked the same and had relatively the same life experiences...but that peaceful look upon his face as the girl he loved that he finally had a chance with...as he gave her away to another man.

"Its for her happiness." Rogue whispered placing the orb back on the shelf carefully, alone, it stood without any other orbs around it. Alone it stood as a single almost happy seeming ending. He stood up walking into the other room where the group was still wandering around waiting for Levy to wake up everyone too impatient to leave. "Maybe we should just bring her back to the guild." Gray said rubbing his forehead with his thumb and pointer finger as he glanced in between her and Juvia. "I mean Porlyusica is there. She can probably help." He sighed looking at Levy once again as Juvia shook her head. "No. Levy-Chan's not ill just unconscious. When Levy-chan wakes... Levy-chan will probably be afraid of..unfamiliar faces." Juvia sighed looking away. "I should probably leave the room." She whispered as Gray shook his head tapping the spot on her where she kept the guildmark.

"You're a part of this guild, you're her family."

"That's why Juvia would leave, for her family. Juvia doesn't want to see that scary look upon Levy-chan's face when she looks towards Juvia."

"I know what you mean that we don't know where her mind is right now. But its something that's going to help us find where she really is."

The room fell silent once again as the occupants all paced impatiently back and forth once again. As everyone sighed in unison waiting for the hours to pass for the girl to wake up. "What are we going to do when she wakes up?" Sting asked leaning on a shelf in the corner.

"Should probably start with taking that _thing_ off of her arm." Gray glanced at him while glaring as Sting sighed. "I was just figuring if she's in any mind state like she was when we caught her she was going to freak the heck out when she wakes up. It was easier that way." Sting grumbled walking towards her. "Have you thought about that _thing_ is what's preventing her from waking up?" Gray sighed as Sting shrugged beginning to work on removing the magic stigma from his own magic.

"Ryos-chan? Are you okay..you look worn out" Juvia whispered being the first to notice him standing within the doorway. "It's nothing, I'll be fine." He nodded back as Juvia glanced at him disbelievingly and then nodded slowly. "Okay." Juvia whispered hesitantly capable of managing a whisper that only he could hear from all of the years of experience of being with Gajeel in the guild. "Okay, she'll wake up shortly." Sting grumbled rolling his eyes at Gray's excuse that all the hours of waiting for her to wake up could've been his fault. "Do you think we should contact the guild?" Gray murmured as Juvia shook her head as they all waited impatiently.

"I'm...going to punch you." Levy's voice echoed as she attempted to reach up towards Sting who was already moved away. "Levy...Levy do you remember us?" Rogue asked quietly moving towards her as she glanced him over, scanning him over quickly, before making any kind of decision. As a faint moment of recollection glimmered in her eyes, a faint moment of hope as she opened her mouth to speak once again. "You're the creepy stalker dude who was following me!" Before leaping up and attempting to run out of the room only to get dragged back by Sting by the door. "Rogue you've got to catch Levy. She's not in the right state of mind to wander the streets." Sting grumbled ignoring Levy's kicking and thrashing about in his arms as he placed her back down on the couch. "My father has told me about guilds like you! Stalkers and kidnappers alike in your guilds! I can't believe you people! You would do anything to get your hands on my kind! Just because we're few in number doesn't mean you have to chase us down!" She shouted glaring up at them as if they were complete amboniations. "Levy, please calm down. We just want to talk. We won't hurt you." Gray sighed attempting to calm her down by displaying an ice-rose out within his hand as she pulled away glancing him over. "Seducer." She growled at him as Juvia turned red and begun shouting about his clothes in which he seemed highly embarrassed that within such crucial moments he wouldn't of noticed such actions.

"Levy. Listen, we know each other. We've been worried about you for months. You've been missing for over two months." Rogue whispered taking a stance where he would be in a lower position than her, a subconscious thing, that usually helped kidnapping victims and young children feel safer around strangers. There was a moment of silence. "I don't know you! My father has told me about people like you! I'm going to call him!" Levy shouted looking up towards them with blazing eyes as Rogue went to reach out to her shoulders to attempt to calm her down as he pulled away.

"Please. We're people you know. Your name is Levy McGarden." He whispered as she shook her head.

"No! No! I've never met you before I have no idea who you are!"

"Listen to me."

"I'm going to call my father."

"Your name is Levy McGarden, both your parents died when you were young and you were adopted into FairyTail." Sting interrupted apparently having information he didn't feel like sharing with the group.

"Liar! Liar! Liar! Blonde haired liar!"

"Listen to us already!"

"Sting...its alright, trauma is normal." Rogue whispered half sighing. What was he thinking that everything would automatically be alright once he found her? He glanced her over finally deciding to take in the damage. She didn't look injured, at least physically, but there were minor differences. Her short blue hair was now a cascading black hair down to her feet that reminded Rogue of _**him**_ but if she wanted to keep it, it was her own choice he wouldn't bring it up. She was wearing all black and glaring at him with furious eyes.

"Kidnapping guilds will say anything, seduce you with their words just to get you to come along. Once you're there there's no leaving. And two of your are already wearing the guildmark of the most famous guild for it, FairyTail" She glared at them as the pack of four all looked around at each other. It was going to be a long night. She was growling FairyTail's name bitterly as if she hated them.

"You're part of our guild too! How could you say that about your own guild!"

"Gray-sama please calm down. She's not in the right mind!"

"There goes all of the things my father said you would say! And what about you Mr. Stalker! What do you want with me?!" She snapped turning to Rogue who sighed looking towards the floor glancing up towards her as she scanned over his eyes flinching back as if she noticed something. "Wait...you've got _those_ eyes." She whispered her hand going to reach up and stroke his face as he pulled away quickly, shaking his head, startling her. "I need some air." He whispered walking towards the porch as the no longer blunette stared at him still sitting on the couch.

Footsteps echoing as they followed behind him. Sting crossed his arms looking towards Rogue as the crickets chirped away in the night, snow beginning to fall, common for being in mountainous terrain. "You don't think I saw that, what you did back there did you?" Sting sighed as Rogue glanced towards him as if to say "_what exactly did I do?"_ written all over his face. "I saw it! Its so obvious! You pulled away from her so quickly after looking for her so long! What did Old lady Obba show you in the back room?"

"Nothing."

"Fine I'll just go look!"

"Don't."

"_You're kidding. The hell is this?!" _Sting's furious voice boomed from inside the house.


	11. Chapter 10: Clan

**Author's Note: ****Still no offers to Beta-Readers. There will be a Beta-Reader status posted upon my profile from now on.**

**Chapter 10**

"_You're kidding. The hell is this?!" _Sting's furious voice boomed from inside the house. "Old lady explain yourself!" Sting's voice shouted as he could hear the old lady sighing. Already acknowledging that Sting had tracked his scent from earlier towards the room that Lady Obba had showed him. "He would never do something like that! Especially not to me! No matter what the circumstances." Sting shouted it sounding as if he were slowly crushing one of the crystal balls in his hand. "I can't control what's inside the crystals dear. They only change depending on who's around. Different types of future in different crystals." Lady Obba sighed as Sting's voice seemed unstable and shaky. "How...how could you show this to him? This...mess." The blonde's voice whispered the cracking sound of the crystal stopping as Sting was attempting to keep his composure being the leader of SaberTooth. Footsteps echoed back out on to the porch. Sting was standing next to him, one of the orbs within Sting's hands as he crossed his wrists over the wooden balcony. The orb illuminating the already white-night. "How..could she show such a thing to you." Sting grumbled as Rogue sighed glancing towards him.

"The only reason you saw my future's is...because in my futures you don't exist anymore." Rogue sighed as Sting nodded replaying the recollection of where he would be cut from the orbs and the orbs would follow Rogue around as over and over he attempted to fix everything.

Sting glanced down once again at the orb. Lady Obba's favorite orb as he rolled it around within his hand. The young shadow dragon slayer was within the hospital struggling with being beaten up, the cause apparently never being found, as he glanced over to Levy. Weaker than before. Already dealing with his magic eating him. As his eyes opened obviously not himself.

_" He thinks you like Gajeel more huh__**?**__ Well guess what?" Rogue's smile suddenly slanted as he looked towards her climbing out of bed as she rushed to help him up. "Are you awake?" Levy asked not sure if she should whisper or not since she was in a hospital. As she glanced into his eyes. "You don't want to do that." Rogue smiled down at her his eyes flashing. _

_"What is it?" The girl looked as if she was suddenly being overtaken by some form of unnatural fear. "Come here" Rogue had smiled roughly grabbing her forearms leaning closer he whispered into her ear. "I can do things to you that would make you forget everything about Gajeel." His words curling around her ear that made her heart jump, this Rogue that she was looking at now though sent a different type of fear through her._

"Its funny..I've all orbs..this is the one that ended the nicest." Rogue sighed glancing down at the scene again, as Sting attempted to understand what Rogue was feeling about such a vulgar display that almost seemed like it was on video as they stared into the orb lacrima. The emotions that usually swirled in his rubies all carefully concealed still obviously deep in his own world of thoughts.

_"Wait Rogue you don't know what you're saying. Wake up." Levy muttered, turning red. _

_"Of course he does. I know his inner intentions he's not as good as you think he is. If you knew Rogue like I did Rogue is such a bad person, you'll never understand how much he hates.." __**Gajeel. Anything that will take you. How much he wants to reach for you but never does. **__The red eye's of Rogue smiled down at her a sly smile stretching across his face. Levy felt herself backing away till she felt her back slam against the window glancing down at the drop. A person somewhere in the distance their shadow emerging to probably open the hospital for the day._

_Rogue was whispering something barely comprehensible as suddenly his lips slammed against hers. Levy felt herself suddenly become completely confused as his other hand reached up playing with her hair. Observing her, she had never seen such a critical cynical look upon her before especially by him. "Let go Rogue, Rogue you're hurting me." Levy whispered her hand reaching towards her forearm. As he glanced down quickly his red eyes flashing towards her. "I'm not Rogue babe'." He was practically laughing at her confusion._

_"Duck!" A voice yelled as the room's door slammed open a chair being flung into the room as 'Rogue' suddenly slammed them both down to the floor hands still wrapped around her. "Levy the minute you get free get as much distance from him as possible!" It was Sting apparently he was the second one to come along in the early dark morning hour thankfully. "What's going on?" Levy shouted back as Rogue glanced down at her. "This is what you want Sting? You always piss me off so much...where do you even come from, out of the blue every single time." Rogue grumbled towards him as Levy glanced at Rogue no that wasn't Rogue he wouldn't say something like that towards Sting would he? They were always together but he wouldn't say something like that towards someone he had begun to call his brother in his own guild._

_"You can't use magic unless you let her go."_

_"Same for you. You can't use magic unless I let her go...You did throw a chair at me." 'Rogue' smiled as she felt herself suddenly shift position and be thrown against the wall into the corner of the room. "Hey babe' i'm not done with you, so stay right there." Rogue smiled at her pausing for a minute. "Or I'll come back to kill you." he laughed turning to Sting._

_"That's low man, she's just a fairy let her go."_

_"She's not just a fairy she's important to Rogue."_

_"So why does that matter?"_

_"I want it...I want to take it all from him, and he finally left me a valuable vulnerable spot to start."_

_" She's a person not an it- I mean leave her alone. That's totally lame."_

_The two argued for a little all the while attacking each other destroying the hospital room. "So anything else I can take from him?" This Rogue asked as Sting swung at him._

_"Yeah."_

_"What?"_

_"This punch"_

_The two seemed pretty evenly matched but that was to say they were sparring in a hospital room in a hospital. "Ugh!" Sting felt himself dragged backwards almost shot out the door as he grabbed his side looking up at the shadow, it was hard working struggling not to hurt the person he cared for while trying to help them. _

_The man standing in front of her flinched as he tried to unsuccessfully glance at Sting who hit him in the back sending him flying against the wall. Leaving Sting standing in front of Levy, Rogue knocked into the wall, and damaged hospital equipment._

"You haven't had a problem with your shadow magic lately have you?" Sting asked waiting impatiently for the answer. The Sting within this pathway seemed to be fighting the problem the entire time, as if he knew since childhood. That he was baring the secret of Rogue's magic possessing him...that he was becoming a different person. A more sadistic, violent, sexually abusive, abusive in general person. There was a silence from Rogue. "Rogue.. is there something you aren't telling me?" Sting asked as Rogue sighed glancing away obviously not ready to share whatever he was hiding. "...Rogue?'

"I don't know okay! I don't! I can't remember my fight with Gajeel if that counts for anything."

The twins fell silent glancing inside once again where Levy was glowering at Juvia who was sighing in reply to her still trying to explain that she belonged to FairyTail's guild. "This is what we need to focus on now." Rogue whispered as Sting nodded, Rogue beginning to walk back inside, as Sting placed a hand on his shoulder. "What is it Sting?" Rogue sighed glancing at the blonde who was apparently trying to readjust his words. "Our guild is going to become one that protects its own." Sting said as Rogue nodded back, already knowing that was what Sting had wanted from the beginning being taught such from the Grand Magic Games. "No matter what happens.

I'm not going to let anything happen...

...to my little brother."


	12. Chapter 11: Vines & Tears

**Author's note: ****Sorry guys! A little bit late! I had physics homework which took like 3 hours this morning, a soccer game, and a 5k to run - does that make up for it? Sorry I hope the chapter is good enough.**

**Chapter 11**

"Get out! I don't know you! I _**hate**_ people like you!" The voice shrilled without the entire house as books were chucked disregarding towards two of them. "Let me out!" The girl screamed, "Levy, we're just trying to protect you!" Gray's voice argued with her as suddenly magic threw him against the wall, a magic similar to Mard Geer's overflowing throughout the house that was now littered in plants. The twin dragons swirled around heading inside the house struggling against the occasion cold wind that attempted to brush them away from where they were heading with the mountain weather. Sharp vines grew out from within the living room entrapping the water and ice mage against the walls as they struggled to figure out how to get out of the vines without hurting their friend. "Is everything alright in here?" Lady Obba's voice asked beginning to open the door as Gray shouted at her: "No! Get back! Whatever you do don't open that door!"

"Its not fair! Its human's fault! I can't believe my mother why'd she have to be a human!" The girl screamed throwing another bit of magic that was misdirected as the twins entered the door attempting to avoid the magic quickly. "Its humans' faults that people like me can't live with their families in peace!" She shouted, more magic being thrown around, as if it were a toy being thrown during a temper tantrum. "I can't believe...we aren't war weapons..you heartless beings!" She screamed another piece of magic being thrown a crossed the room that wasn't identified yet almost falling into Sting's head as Sting dodged Rogue jumped down into one of his shadows swirling behind her. "Levy, stop." He whispered pulling up behind her.

"I'm not Levy! I don't belong to anyone! Not any evil mage guild or any place! I'm just me!" She shook her head her hair moving along with her as he shook his head, a look in his eyes that could melt the hearts of almost anyone as he attempted to talk with her. "I can't! Not to places like these! I don't want to be some sort of weapon kidnapped from my family to be used for war! Why can't _**even**_someone like me, even someone with my status stay safe! That doesn't say anything to the younger children of lower ranks about how safe they are!" She shouted as Rogue could almost see the gleam in her eyes that she was holding back thinking that she was surrounded by the enemy. He lowered his voice to a whisper "I watched it so many times...call me a little selfish.." He said staring at the floor somehow managing to get her attention without having magic thrown at him, it was more than likely his eyes and that was all the only reason she was hesitating the only reason she hadn't hurt him yet. "I'm not ready to lose you yet." He whispered as her eyes went wide as if something was clicking within her mind. Questions obviously rising to the surface as she stared at the boy who was pulling something slowly out of his pocket. A tiny little orb. _**A memory lacrima. **_"What's that?" She whispered reinforcing the barrier of vines quickly before turning to him, hesitantly, as he made it a point not to make any sudden movements. Her fingers slowly reaching up scraping against the edge of the orb it looked almost similar to the crystals that were scattered around Lady Obba's back room. The girl's intrigued eyes glowing as the colors lit up within it.

"Can...can I hold it?" She asked as he sighed not sure if that meant he was allowed to move or if she was going to quickly snatch it away. "I'm not sure...when you find what's inside, you may drop it." He said as she nodded slowly taking the lacrima anyway, carefully, gently, as if she was afraid everything around her was going to shatter at any moment in time. He watched her closely as she flinched glancing towards the vines behind her as she added more struggling to stop Sting as he attempted to come to the rescue screaming, shouting, and asking "Are you alright?"

"Wait."

"What?"

"What...do you remember about time with Mard Geer?"

"...everything, I've met him this past year or so, so he tells me, I'm having kind of issues right now, but he's been there. I remember first meeting him and as he was explaining how _**they **_had kidnapped my mother and I, my mother as ransom, and me to raise as a war weapon. His worried face I can't believe I did that to him for so many years." The girl let her hair fall in front of her face as it almost cascaded to the floor tears welling up further in her eyes. "But i'm not going to let that happen again! I was down here hoping to find my mother and I promised him I would be back soon!" She smiled as him as he blinked at her.

"Why are you so trusting towards me but rejecting everyone else?" He asked as she shook her head, her voice lowering as she clicked on the lacrima. "Your eyes...I was hoping...that maybe you would want to come back with me. I wasn't sure if you would...especially since they've influenced you that the blonde is your older brother." She sighed as Rogue shook his head.

"No, that blonde you're talking about is Sting and he's always been there. I made that decision myself." He said not sure if he should control that small smile that was surfacing to his face, the glow of the lacrima echoing upon Levy's hair making it radiate her original blue in the darkness that the vines had created. Her eyes scanned over quickly what was within the lacrima, disbelief and confusing flashing through the beautiful brown color.

"This lacrima...its a lie...a fake." She whispered as he sighed.

"There's a reason Sting's trying so desperately to get in her right now." He explained as a pounding came on the wall near her causing Levy to squeak and move away from the wall, stumbling and falling into his laptop. She looked at him quickly, lighting up red before moving away once again. "I don't want to go with him. I don't want to go with anyone. I just want to find my mother." She whispered moving to the corner of the vines as more entangled around her slowly separating the two rooms as she was apparently losing the battle between her, the vines, and Sting. "Levy, what's ever in your head...we'll help you. In due time you'll figure out for yourself what's real and what's fake...please come out of there!" Sting shouted, a voice that sounded almost like he was begging her to come out, both of his hands slamming against the vine wall on the other side as he struggled to break through the vines which were now thicker than a rainforest. "I don't need help." She whispered pressing her hands to her ears as she stared back towards the wall of vines eyes showing that she was already creating a plan of escape. "I'm going to find my mother." She whispered as Rogue sighed crawling over to the ever growing smaller vine jungle of where she was hiding herself further away. As his fingers reached up slowly tracing each vine seeming as though these vines were delicate beings, fragile even, as he attempted not to rip each of their lives away from them. Rogue's hands encircling the vines as he begun tugging them away. "Levy, don't give up! Not yet!" He said struggling to reach into the vines. Something in his heart...was screaming at him. The images from all of the crystal lacrimas flashing in his eyes all over again. That wasn't what he wanted. What he wanted was to find a way to live happily. "This one time! We deserve it!" He said pushing more vines away. "This one time we deserve to find a way where we can both live in peace" He said pushing more vines away finally being capable of coming into the space where Levy had created for herself. "How...how could he have done that! He's my father! Tell me this lacrima is fake." She whispered attempting to cover any of the noise and ruckus being made by Sting breaking viciously through her barriers. "I'm scared. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to be alone." She whispered as his hands reached up curling around her pulling her into a hug. "Shh...we're all a little alone and confused in this world." He whispered as the confused girl nodded seeming to grow more trust in him by the second. He glanced down at her watching a single strange of blue hair light up and echo down her back, just a single one. But that was a start. Hopefully a sign of hope of regaining her memories.

"_I don't plan to give you up. __**Not **__this time."_


	13. Chapter 12: Fear & Hope

**A.N.: ****Who's this? I'm alive...everyone don't hate me the only thing that's been typed [for like a week straight] was that first paragraph...I has writer's block.**

**Chapter 12**

He looked at the once blue-haired girl lying in his lap holding onto the orb. Only falling asleep at his promise to eventually stop Sting from beating on the vines as she clung to the orb, even knowing what was inside it...thinking each moment within the orb over carefully was all over her face even as she was asleep. He watched tears drip down her face confused and lost. Rage swirled inside his heart quickly as he attempted to console it each time. Such a vile man...didn't deserve her tears...the temptation of slaughter lingering in his heart..no. He wouldn't become like the white-haired version of himself had become. A shadow with only the answers of killing his problems...this was about her-And now she was looking for her own mother...He closed his eyes taking in a deep breath..remembering the timid spirit that could've been mistaken for a snow-fairy living in a mountain cave covered in snow. _That man _was just going to break her heart all over again.

Rogue took an even breath in listening to her strumming heart beat as he wondered if that beautiful sky-kissed hair was going to start shedding its way back in by some miracle or why it had even disappeared in the first place. "I want to go home..." She whispered in her sleep as he glanced down at her...did she even know where her home was in the first place? Was she currently considering that deathtrap of a secret flying base her home? Which were the lies? He blinked staring into the comforting darkness. Darkness that did its best to shield everyone from the world's monsters...only to be considered the monster itself as it attempted to protect what was important to it. Rogue felt his hand move back and forth struggling not to make a fist at oh-how-familiar those thoughts were. The shadows were something that was feared, cold, unnatural, and even uncomfortable to be around...while the light was what everyone aspired too. There was no way someone would notice someone trapped in the shadows for the rest of his life. Why would anyone want to join him? Especially someone like her? He watched as she curled her fingers around his sleeve trying to figure out where she was in her own dreams. "Rogue? Are you okay in there?" Sting shouted his fingers finally backing away from trying to dig at the overgrown forest in the living room. "Yeah I'm fine, Levy just fell asleep." Rogue replied, there was a moment of silence, Sting let out a breath while probably rubbing his fingers between his eyebrows before he spoke again. "If you do anything to her i'm going to strangle you!" He shouted as Rogue felt himself fluster. "HEY! Shouldn't it be the other way around!" There was no reply, just the pattering of feet to the other room. Rogue sighed glancing down at the girl again wondering how long she was going to be asleep. When was the last time she had slept? Or eaten for that matter? Did she understand that she had to eat more than the "other's" she had been living with?

Instantly her brown eyes flickered open, a faint flash of red within them as she blinked them back, the red disappeared once again. "Rogue! Stay in there no matter what!" Sting's voice demanded as the house suddenly rattled. "Sting what's going on?" Rogue growled back wondering if growling too low so Levy wouldn't hear him was stupid. "My father's come to get me." Levy whispered as suddenly he felt a shiver run up his spine. A strange one. It wasn't of fear or cold as most people would've predicted. It was something similar to raw rage and greed. Rogue bit down on his bottom lip trying to keep his legs from moving with minds of their own to seek revenge. To get _her _memories back...even if that meant-no he wasn't going to lose not this time. He had to win...whatever game fate was playing with him. It may have been fate playing with him, but at the same time...fate wasn't entirely in control of a game. That was what was interesting about a game, such a simple little game life was, a game was both strategy and fate. And this time he wasn't trusting himself to fate. He had made that decision long ago.

Debris and fire blazed in front of his eyes as blazing hot tears ran down his cheeks. Red eyes glancing around towards a city completely left in rubble as he felt the sound of his own voice curl up inside himself barely there...something so unusual that seemed as if it were considering persisting this situation for days on end. He felt the once harsh wind brush his cheek attempting to tell him that he wasn't alone...something trying to say it was right there. Ignored, as gazing eyes attempted to find something that wasn't a hand, or a leg...buried and twitching under rubble. He could feel his eyes gazing around, grinding his teeth when anyone was looking and struggling not to breakdown. Rogue took a deep breath. He knew he needed it. Emotions from another world were swirling around him as if these emotions were something that he had experienced-once-upon-a-dream. It wouldn't wind up that way. Not this time. Another rumble echoed through the house. "Sting? Do you need my help?" Rogue called as a grunt echoed outside from the vines which were already reinforcing themselves from Sting smacking against them. "No! Just stay in there and protect her!" Sting shouted his feet padding off again as if he were thrown a considerable distance through the house. "Protect me? I want to go home to my father!" She shouted pure rage echoing behind her eyes as she turned towards Rogue pointing out towards the vines. "Just because I trust you doesn't mean I don't think you're stupid for trusting him!" Levy insisted sitting straight up insisting that she didn't need to be protected from the oncoming threat. "Don't you think I would be able to detect my own magic the minute it was used?" A familiar voice said mockingly as they walked through the dining room of Lady Obba's. "Who are you?" Lady Obba shouted her footsteps echoing into the room the sound of her fingers holding onto something that was probably a broom or something similiar to it. "Get back!" Sting shouted panic echoing in his voice. A woman's shriek echoed out and Sting's rage light up the darkness of the vines Rogue could almost make out what was going on outside the vine cavern Levy had set up in her confusion to protect herself. Rogue glanced up watching the vines immediately starting to move.

"Levy! Control your magic! Keep up the barrier." Rogue whispered as she shook her head. "No! I want to go with him! I want to go somewhere safe! Far away from you people!"

"That's only what you think! You don't actually want to go with me!-" Rogue's voice cut off the minute he realized what he said wishing he could take it back as she froze looking towards him. Her eyes big as if they were like a deer as she looked over him waiting for her, leaving him waiting response to such a thing.

There was a silence as he felt he could feel his own heart pound in his ears...such a stupid thing to say, her lips parting slightly as she was still looking towards him leaving him waiting anxiously for however she planned on responding to him. "Are you sure you're not a kidnapping guild?" She breathed as the house shook again, Sting's nails being dragged a crossed the wood probably marring it forever before his footsteps launched back towards whoever was invading the house. "You must tell me where my daughter is." Mard Geer laughed...it wasn't a laugh that was filled with worry over his "daughter" it was a laugh full of malice and hate...as if he was having fun was the only way to describe such a laugh. Rogue took in a breath slowly releasing the bluenette as he ran his hand threw his hair there was no way he was capable of explaining to her how he felt. Especially since he didn't have a reason to feel the way he did. "Levy. I don't know you. But I've spent over two months looking for you with a possible obsessed traits..Don't go back with the man who kidnapped you." Roge growled as she looked over him strangely. "I need you to trust me." He whispered as her brown eyes darted towards where the entrance of the house would be and back to him, hands shaking as they gripped onto the orb which was reiterating the scene of where another version of him and Levy seemed to have almost figured everything out somewhere on a bridge in an alternate version of the same town. They wouldn't make it, he knew that. He would find _The Eclipse Project_ buried under all the rubble still barely active running out of celestial magic from when Lucy had tried to go to the past,get possessed by a shadow trying to make it better, try to save anyone...anyone at all, and wind up beaten up by Natsu...his last words to Levy wouldn't be words but a movement of affection. Affection he knew he would never live to regret, or embrace. And they would disappear. Memories to never be seen again, but then why? Why were these memories trapped inside his own head? Explicitly reiterating themselves over and over again as if to say that it was impossible for them to be together. Another shake of the house. "Levy. Let a passageway of the vines go." He whispered as she nodded slowly still thinking over what he had just said as the vines slowly became undone. "I'm going to teach you to trust me...but first I'm going to take out someone who has taken something very important from you." He whispered standing up and walking out as the light engulfed him towards the living room. He walked towards the light to fix...

both his past and his future.

**A.N. (2): **_**ALSO! I**_** stared up a Quotev Account, but that Account is going to be purely focused on Character X Reader stories, so far I have one up for Sting and Rogue X Reader [multi-chapter], Mard Geer [One-shot, unless by further demand], and one for just Sting. Without any further adieu my PenName over there is...XReader, stop by and tell me how i'm doing some time 'kay?**


	14. Chapter 13: Windblown Tears

**Chapter 13**

To fix...both his past and his future. Well that was easier said than done as he glanced towards the half destroyed couch, nail markings dragged into the floor, the door off of its hinges, and Lady Obba groaning as she leaned against a wall. "Are you okay?" He asked quickly seeing the dark haired girl repeatedly attempt to leave her own vines that she had trapped herself within to see what was going on, on the outside. "Yeah...go after that Sting...that, that man had some bloodlust." Lady Obba groaned as Rogue nodded quickly glancing towards the door which he didn't have to open since it was already hanging off of its hinges in the doorway. Trashed. As expected of Sting. But not in Lady Obba's home that was something he knew Sting wouldn't do on purpose he would do his best to make sure Lady Obba's home was kept stable. "The fuck would you do something like this for?" Sting shout echoed from outside in the terrain that was quickly becoming rugged and dangerous. Staying here wouldn't do much for anyone. They would probably freeze to death, all of them, if they didn't move down from the mountain soon. Rogue took a breath looking towards the wind blown ice mountain where it had already grown dark as he watched Sting tumble backwards already on losing ground with Mard Geer, blood running down a cut cheek, as Sting attempted to keep his stance on the slippery ice. "Come on little fanboy I thought you were going to play with me." The malicious man taunted as Rogue felt his own magic brewing already on the tips of his fingers. The blonde swirled around in the ice attempting to dig deep enough in the resistant ground so he wouldn't be thrown back once again against Mard Geer. "You're losing your touch little one...or is it that you can't do anything without that _**Dragneel**_ leading you?" Mard Geer sneered his eyes squinting towards Sting as Sting lit up the mountain once again as Sting spun as fast as he could Sting's bright white magic emitting from his hands as if they were boxing gloves causing the icy terrain to be light up as if a firework were being thrown into the air there.

Rogue glanced over the land the town just in the distance Lady Obba's house wasn't that far off someone was bound to see the ruckus happening where they were, would anyone actually come for help? They were still far enough away for the situation to not be understable of what was happening. Rogue could feel his magic brewing...it was ready to combat the situation. He could feel his magic's desire to fight. His desire to protect. Not just his brother. Nor this town that they _should've _known growing up. He wanted to protect her too. He wanted to protect her from the lies of her own mind. He could feel his red eyes grazing the snow feeling the selfish desires also looming behind the seemingly heroic ones...he wanted her attention too. After watching his fate over and over. Dying. Death. Everyone dies, when he's trapped to rebury everyone all alone once again...can't for even five minutes the cruel world allow him a form of selfish desire? Rogue looked up his brother go flying...snow definitely wasn't his element. Rogue lurched forwards, as Sting was flung backwards, quickly joining into the fight. Rogue's fist almost making contact with Mard Geer's face as he smiled causing a black vine decorated in red splotches, the vine bursted forth from the ground quickly wrapping as tightly as it could around his wrist using its acceleration to take Rogue and throw him over Mard Geer to behind Mard Geer, slamming Rogue's back into the icy terrain as a burning cold wind whipped across the air, the clouds forming made no difference for the almost black sky. "Wait your turn little dark one." Mard Geer smiled, something almost sadistic about the way Mard Geer was smiling at him as Mard Geer turned back to a Sting who was half way to frost bitten by the apparent flustered look upon his face. "You should know...out of all the orbs, where Rogue dies of course, my favorite was that quite tragic one, _**my daughter,**_ has in her hands now." Mard Geer smiled making sure to drag out the words 'my daughter'. Another vine quickly wrapping around Rogue's left wrist as the vines struggled to drag him into the ice burying him in the vicious terrain. Rogue attempted to server the rope with his other arm obviously struggling with the continously reinforcing vine. "Hurry or you're brother might die of hypothermia...maybe even frostbite." Mard Geer mocked his back completely turned towards where he put Rogue. "Daddy?" Levy's confused voice echoed as she was standing in the doorway, the orb in hands, as her brown eyes gazed over the situation. Rogue struggling with his left arm quickly being tied to the ground by a magic similiar to her's, Sting looking like he had already obtained a fever, and her "father" seeming as if he were an evil monster as he sadistically smiled upon Sting waiting for anymore ways he could torment the twin dragons.

"Honey? Are you safe? Come here little one." Mard Geer smiled extending his hand as another vine wrapped around each of the twin dragons as they froze waiting for the bluenettes reaction as the girl extended her arm. "DON'T, HE'S A LIE." Rogue shouted as another vine wrapped around his wrist digging in as it drew blood. "But...but he's my father." Levy whispered as Sting ripped a vine off from around his ankle. "Even if he was you wouldn't want one like him." Sting shouted going for a punch on Mard Geer's face as an invisible force deflected him. "What great actors." Mard Geer rolled his eyes extending his hand towards Levy. "Come with me. Its not safe here for half-children like you." Mard Geer smiled, something almost evil behind the half tilted grin, giddy even, as if he were laughing on the inside about the mistake the girl was just about to make by taking his hand. "Has he called you by your name a single time since you got here?" Rogue shouted ripping the vine from the ice as he struggled to stand back up. "Its just a little from my arm...I shouldn't feel this dizzy." He thought to himself checking the strange purpling of his own arm as he could tell Sting was taking a strange sniff of the air, again, again, Sting's eyes grew wider as Sting sniffed the air once again, Rogue glanced down towards his wrist wondering what set Sting off so much about it that it was only bruised and maybe a minor scratch as Rogue took a deep inhale of air. Potent. Something was extremely potent in the air. And not a beautiful potent of a woman's perfume, or a sweet smell of something cooking at home...no this potent was a malicious kind of potent one that was seen in hospitals and on missions. A killer kind of potent. Poison. He had _poison _engraved into his arm. "Take it out of him right now!" Sting screeched lurching for another punch on Mard Geer.

Rogue felt his feet fall of of their own equilibrium as he watched Sting fight Mard Geer throwing a punch in opposite directions on opposing times for several moments. "Why is it you think i've chosen to torment specifically you two?" Mard Geer smiled..."_That's a good question...maybe he's just crazy." _Rogue thought as he watched the battle shift upwards in a downwards terrain, hearing a woman's scream out of nowhere. "I'm okay..." He half-whispered attempting to reassure Lady Obba to make sure she didn't have a heart attack or some crisis in the middle of a crisis that was caused by a crisis. _"Now wouldn't that just be horrible?" _He thought feeling his back thud against something solid moving him slowly to the ice filled ground as the terrain was quickly turning his midnight hair white. Lying next to him was a shattered orb that had dropped onto the ice throughout the scream, fragmented pictures laid throughout the orb of distant places, his eyes squinting...as he saw what seemed to be two happy couple on a dock over a lake. "_I hope they make it home safely."_ Rogue thought to himself feeling completely out of his mind as it wandered slowly beginning to blank. Neither hearing the faded voice or feeling the fingertips that were piercing his skin and actually managing to cut up his arm could draw his attention. It was dark...it was nice. It was horrible. It was incredibly familiar. The sound of the quietness that echoed off of the walls of his mind in the darkness. No one was there anymore. It was as if he were a child again. Sitting alone in the dark...crying. Sitting in alone in the dark crying. Not because he was afraid of the dark itself. The darkness was his friend. It linked him to his mother. It was nice. Rogue struggled to take in a breath. No that wasn't the reason he had been crying. He had been crying because he was terribly alone and needed his mother, no matter how ill she was, he wanted her around. And she wasn't there anymore.

And it was his fault.

Rogue felt another staggered burning breath struggled to be took. It was unnatural for such a young child to struggle to breathe. "_I guess I'm sick too." _He thought to himself struggling with the blurry images that were passing in front of his face. He watched the sky, something was different about the way it was...so different...about the cave he had lived in with Skaidrum. "_Ha. Not even the same roof."_ Nothing was the same about how was now. Nothing was the same...why not? He wondered feeling everything become heavy as a blue-haired girl appeared over his head screaming words he didn't understand her big brown eyes round as a doe's. "I swear to whoever's up there. If you die on me a second time I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you so dead that you won't even know!" The girl screamed her blue hair covered in dried blood dripping into his face. "What if I didn't want the world you chose for me?" She screeched as he felt his eyes squeeze together...that didn't make any sense. What world? He didn't choose anything for her. He had barely knew her, other than his obsession for the last two months to find this woman. Rogue scanned over the hazy image of the woman. She was definitely older than Levy, her long blood-crusted hair that hadn't been cut probably in what looked like seven years seeked to prove that as he ripped outfit and cloak encircled her shoulders. She wiped away tears as he stared up at her, glancing in between her, and the girl standing behind her with black and blue hair dripping down her shoulders, something wasn't making sense...and yet it gave him a feeling of relief in his own mind. "Where's your sense of adventure Rogue?" The girl who had his head in her lap whispered her voice cracked and dry, her eyes big, innocent, a little bit war torn, but full of hope. He could feel that his red eyes were gazing into them but not once did this strange woman flinch away from him as his hand reached up gently touching her face as his rusky voice came out with words he didn't quite understand.

"Don't cry anymore."


End file.
